Certain as the Sun
by mal0702
Summary: Traveling to a land she only dreamed of, Belle finds herself in the adventures she had hoped for. Through her adventures, she meets a young man who seems set on turning her world-and her heart- upside down. Rated M because honestly who knows where this will go. Also, this story is a bit of a slow burn I've realized as I write it, so just a fair warning.
1. Chapter 1

The first few chapters are shorter vignettes, so bear with me as they progress. This is also my first dive into writing Fan Fiction, so please please please be kind and patient with my writing.

 _*_ I do not own any of these characters*

Chapter 1

She expected that traveling by sea would make her ill. After all, a woman whose closest experience with sea travel was a romantic ride in a rowboat across a small lake would not be equipped with the sea legs—or stomach—she would need for this journey.

Or so her father told her when he vehemently begged her to stay.

"No, Papa," she said for the umpteenth time at dinner. At that point, they had taken to eating at a smaller table with the former Mrs. Potts. She had excused herself when the arguing started up again, leaving Belle and Maurice to duke it out.

"I almost lost you before, and I will not do that again," Maurice cried with tears pooling in his eyes.

Belle rolled hers. Ever since her father let her trade places with him that night, he never forgave himself. It made the once carefree man overbearing and protective.

"Papa, Jacques and Louise will take good care of me. I will be safe. We will not be gone that long." These words had been said so many times, they felt like her motto.

She met her father's eyes. Tears were now streaming from them. Reaching her hand across the table, she grabbed his and asked, "Did you lose me before?"

He silently shook his head and sniffled.

"What makes you think you'll lose me again?" she said smiling, hoping it would elicit the same reaction out of him.

Maurice looked up and said, hardly above a whisper, "I just fear that you think there is nothing to come back to."

Now Belle was the one to feel tears pool in her eyes. "Papa, I still have you and everyone here. You are not nothing. I will come back to you. I promise."

That night was over a month ago.

Since then, Belle had packed her bags for a journey she had only dreamed of at one point in her life. She would be going to the East, to a city called Agrabah. Friends of hers, Jacques and Louise, were embarking on a business venture that would bring them to this exotic locale. Since Jacques was likely to be out all day doing business, Louise wanted to bring along a friend to keep her company. They had been told it wasn't safe for a woman to wander the streets without company, so they asked the very obliging Belle to accompany them.

"Do you not love the smell of the sea, my dear?" Louise said to Belle. Belle snapped her head to look at her friend who had joined her on deck. "Oh my! It seems I've given you a fright!" Louise said with a chuckle.

"Oh, no," Belle replied. "I was simply lost in thought."

"Oh, yes, well, don't get too wrapped up in that head of yours. We have many days of adventure ahead of us!"

Belle returned Louise's infectious smile and let the thoughts of home fade away as they began to plan their future days out.

* * *

"Why would I ever want to be with a liar?!" Jasmine said as she threw a vase at Aladdin's head.

It shattered on an ornately decorated column just above his head.

Things had not gone according to plan. Contrary to his expectations, Princess Jasmine was not too enthralled to learn that Aladdin had lied to her during their brief courtship.

"Jasmine, please!" Aladdin said with his hands up. "Give me a chance to explain!"

"Do you mean lie more?" She began looking around for Rajah so she could end Aladdin here and now.

"No!" Aladdin realized he had precious little time to explain himself. "Does it mean nothing to you that I risked my life to save you from Jafar? Does it mean nothing that without me, you would be enslaved in a loveless marriage to an egomaniac with questionable facial hair?"

From Aladdin's perspective that seemed to calm Jasmine down; in reality, she felt like a snake, preparing for its final blow.

Slowly, she walked toward him, every step punctuating her words—each of which came out as a hiss. "As opposed to being stuck with a liar? How could I ever trust someone like you? Your magical friends helped me. Not. You. Were it not for your carpet or your genie, you would still be what you were before: a scheming, stealing-"

 _Please don't say it_ , he thought.

"-street rat."

With those two words, Aladdin could feel his heart breaking. He was speechless.

"I would rather be alone for life than be bound to someone who tried to entrap me with lies and dishonesty. You played me for a fool. While I am grateful for your actions—saving me and my father—I am not contractually beholden to repay you with love or marriage."

Aladdin was still silent. He hung his head, hoping his dark locks would hide the tears on his face. He felt her pull his chin up with her delicate fingers. They were so close, that for a brief moment he thought they might kiss.

"You have my gratitude," she said. For once, there seemed to be kindness in those deep, dark, oval eyes of hers. "You will always have that. But I can never love someone I cannot trust."

She let go of his chin and walked away, leaving in her wake the scent of perfume. The promise of such proximity made Aladdin's heart break even more when she distanced herself.

"Since you have our gratitude," Jasmine said over her shoulder, "my father and I shall find you suitable work so you no longer have to live as you did. We will also set you up in a home that was recently vacated by one of my father's most loyal subjects. He was a rich merchant who passed away and left behind no male children, so you are welcome to have all of his possessions to do with what you wish. I hope that you will accept this as a sign of our thanks."

Aladdin just nodded his head. He knew that Jasmine was headstrong and could not be swayed in this matter. After all, she was right. Almost everything he had told her had been a lie. How could she love a man that she didn't truly know? Furthermore, how could she trust someone who had deceived her so greatly?

No life can be built on such a weak foundation.

The pain of coming to that realization made Aladdin sick, not because he knew that his chances with Jasmine were over. But because he knew he had no one to blame but himself.


	2. Chapter 2

_*_ I do not own any of these characters*

Chapter 2

"This was a mistake! A huge mistake!" Louise shouted as she burst through the doorway into the sitting area.

Belle was sitting at a table reading a book on the history of Agrabah.

"What are you talking about?" she inquired concernedly.

"It is too damn hot, here," Louise said. She fell onto a chaise with dramatic flare. Indeed, the women had found that they had collectively only packed three dresses that could withstand the heat of day in Agrabah.

The layers and corsetry that kept them comfortable in rural France were essentially a death trap in this desert. In fact, when Jacques wasn't around, they both took to wearing the bare minimum required to be decent among female friends in order to survive.

This state of affairs saddened Belle. They had already been in Agrabah half a week. She wanted to explore the streets, to see what the city had to offer. For too long she had studied the illustrations in history and travel books. For once she wanted to behold the wonders of the world with her own two eyes.

"This could be easily resolved if we just took to wearing what the local women wear. I'm sure that Nadia could help us with that."

Nadia was the keeper of the home they were staying at, which belonged to another Frenchman whom Jacques had known since childhood.

"Dress like locals?" Louise threw her head back with a laugh sending some pinned curls from her otherwise perfectly coiffed hair. "Belle, that is ridiculous. I'm more than happy to shop for some of those luxurious silks and fabrics I've heard about—but I am not about to dress like a local."

Belle let out a discontented sigh. Though she loved Louise, her high breeding made her at times just as ignorant and judgmental as the villagers who treated Belle as an outcast.

And so another day passed with Belle contenting herself with reading and Louise occasionally complaining in between naps, before Jacques came home. Though the heat kept them in, it did not keep out the local cuisine that Nadia prepared for them.

Belle enjoyed the sumptuous food and various flavors she had never tasted before. It reminded her of when she had secretly feasted in the palace, before Adam discovered her.

The memory at first made her nostalgic and happy, and then suddenly sad.

"Belle?" Jacques asked. "Are you alright?"

Realizing her sad expression must have been painted on her face, Belle blushed a deep scarlet.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. I just think I might turn in early, if you both would allow me," she said hastily getting up from the table.

The couple acquiesced and Belle hurried toward her room. Lost in both her memories and the labyrinthine hallways of this home, she suddenly found herself crashing into Nadia.

"I am so sorry," Belle apologized.

"Do not apologize, my lady," Nadia said as she picked up the linens she had dropped.

Belle stooped down to help her, which seemed to surprise Nadia. The short, dark-haired woman nodded in gratitude and smiled at Belle. The smile reminded her of Mrs. Potts when she had first taken on human form. It was warm and welcoming, as if inviting the question that Belle wanted to ask.

"Nadia, I hope you'll forgive me for asking you this. But, do you know where I might be able to find some more, how should I say, appropriate clothing for this climate? Mrs. Biron and I have been suffering tremendously with what we've brought."

Nadia let out a chuckle as she shifted the linens in her hands.

"Of course I do, my dear. Some of the ladies who have occupied this house in the past have left quite a collection of clothes that I hope you will find suitable. Some might be a bit outdated, but I think they will serve your purposes. After all, even if your clothes don't make you stand out, that fair skin and your accent certainly will."

Later in the evening, Nadia came to Belle's room with a trunk full of clothes for her to wear. They varied from diaphanous frocks that made Belle blush just thinking about wearing them, to long tunics that went from head to toe.

It wasn't long before Belle and Nadia were laughing as the French beauty modeled the various fashions brought to her.

"Oh, thank you, Nadia, truly," Belle said clasping her hand.

Nadia smiled back at Belle. "Thank you, Ms. Belle, for your kindness and for letting me enjoy this evening with you. Most visitors to this home treat me as though I am a ghost who conveniently places food before them and cleans their messes. But you, you are one of the first to treat me as if I am a person. I can see now that the beauty I see on your face is truly reflected in your heart."

They hugged before Nadia left the room. It was, after all, getting late and Nadia had her own family to return home to.

Belle danced in a sky blue tunic before the mirror in her room. It fitted loosely about her and was decorated with intricate embroidery. She pulled the matching veil about her head and pulled it over her face.

She felt free for the first time since she had arrived. She felt like she could do just about anything now that she was unencumbered by her Western clothes. It was then, just as her large brown eyes peered back at her from under the matching veil she placed around her head, that she felt a sudden spark of spontaneity.

She was going to see Agrabah.

Now.


	3. Chapter 3

_*_ I do not own any of these characters*

Chapter 3

Being a merchant's apprentice was not difficult for Aladdin, in the sense that he could carry large loads, evaluate the quality of goods, and charm any potential client into buying something when they came in to the shop or visited their cart in the market place.

It _was_ difficult in the sense that he was illiterate.

After all, he was, as Jasmine had so eloquently put it, a street rat. In fact, if Aladdin still didn't believe in her underlying goodness, he probably would have thought that putting him in this position where he was doomed to fail and be embarrassed was some form of revenge from the bitter princess.

Aladdin had been abandoned by his parents at too young an age to ever have been given any schooling. He never really even found a reason or need to learn letters or even numbers. Cunning and charm was enough to help him—and Abu—survive.

And, for a brief period of time, Genie helped him survive, too.

Since freeing his friend, Aladdin saw Genie occasionally. His assistance in Aladdin's difficulties now, however, was limited. Genie could help Aladdin much like any other person could, but he couldn't perform the same feats of magic that he once did.

"I'm sorry, Al," Genie said floating mystically above a pile of carpets in the store. "I can't give you the gift of literacy. I can't give you any gifts, really; at least not like I used to, anyway."

There was a hint of sadness in his voice. Aladdin wondered if the price of freedom—namely, losing infinite cosmic power—had been unforeseen by Genie. So, he chose not to push the matter any further.

"It's okay," Aladdin said continuing to move empty crates into the back rooms of the hop to be disposed of later. "I just don't know how long I can divert Mr. Alavi's requests to help him with the books and orders. Eventually he's going to figure out I'm a fraud. Just like Jasmine did."

Genie floated to side-hug Aladdin with one very cold, translucent blue arm. "Hey, buddy! That's not the Aladdin I know! Cheer up! I'm sure you will figure something out. You've always had luck on your side."

Abu shouted in agreement from the rafters above.

Aladdin couldn't help but smile and nod his head in acquiescence. Genie soon left so Aladdin could return to his tasks and, more importantly, in case Mr. Alavi showed up. Though the people of Agrabah had seen a lot of paranormal activities, many still weren't quite accustomed to the presence of real genie in their midst.

Mr. Alavi was one of them.

"Aladdin, my good man!" the large merchant shouted when he came to the store for closing that day. "Have you kept my store in good order?" he asked clapping him on the back.

"Yes, sir," Aladdin responded. "All is well, but no customers today."

"Well, we can't have a good day every day. We have to have a bad one once in a while to appreciate the blessing of a good one," he said from underneath a very thick mustache. "Regardless, the market was booming, so I'm sure we still made something of the day after all."

He began to steer Aladdin toward the counter where all the books were kept. Aladdin felt his heart sink deep into his stomach and pushing all the bile to his throat. "Now, Aladdin, tomorrow we really need to get you started on these books. I can't keep doing them by myself and as my apprentice you need to learn how to do all my tasks so maybe one day this business or one like it could be yours!"

"Okay, Mr. Alavi," Aladdin responded timidly.

"Where's the spirit, my man?" he said so loudly, Aladdin was sure the neighbors could hear.

"I'm looking forward to it," Aladdin responded with more gusto.

Mr. Alavi meant well, Aladdin thought to himself, after they closed up shop. He was a caring man with an imposing presence. He had no sons of his own and all of his daughters had been married away to other successful businessmen. He lived a happy life and had a carefree spirit. His laughter and joy was also infectious. Aladdin was certain that man could turn a funeral into a celebration in no time.

Aladdin, therefore, did not begrudge his teacher. In fact, he was grateful.

He just didn't want to disappoint another person he cared about for being a fraud.

When they left the shop at the end of the day, the sun had already begun its descent turning Agrabah into a city of black and gold. Long shadows cast upon the golden walls of all the buildings stacked so closely together created a beautiful mosaic. Aladdin lived a distance away from the shop, in a nicer area of town where the streets were wider and homes much larger.

It was where the wealthy had chosen to congregate so they could be among their own kind. Aladdin was pretty sure that if they knew of his origins, they would forcibly remove him from his new home for fear he'd infect the neighborhood.

By the time he was even close to his home, the streets had taken on various shades of dark blue and black with only the moonlight to lead his way. In this sea of black and blue, Aladdin heard a commotion behind him.

Turning around, he didn't even see the woman who crashed into him, for she was camouflaged by her own blue tunic that blended in so well with the colors cast about her.

"Please, sir," a pair of large brown eyes pleaded with him. "You have to help me."


	4. Chapter 4

_*_ I do not own any of these characters*

Chapter 4

It was easy enough to sneak out of the house once Jacques and Louise had retired. Their bedroom was on the opposite side of the house from the back door through which Belle quietly exited. With the mobility provided by her new clothing, Belle was easily able to climb up a tree and jump over the walls that surrounded their courtyard.

She found herself in a dark alley only lit by the moon. In her blue tunic, she was essentially invisible in the shadows. Belle once read in a book that the best color to conceal oneself in the dark was not black, but blue.

Now, she actually believed it.

Exiting the alley and walking onto the empty streets, Belle took in a deep breath. She felt like it was her first real taste of Agrabah. She could smell the scents of various dishes being prepared for dinner across homes in Agrabah. Though she had already eaten earlier due to the fact that her and her compatriots' stomachs hadn't adjusted to local time, the smells still made her salivate.

Pulling the veil over her head, and fingering the embroidery that decorated its edges, she continued down the street. At its end, there were lights and noises of revelry emerging from what must have been the local equivalent of a tavern.

Maybe she could go in and enjoy a drink or some food, like she could back at home. Belle could find a tucked away corner and just observe. For once, she could see the lives of others unfolding before her instead of in words on pages.

Stepping over the threshold of this tavern, she stopped immediately in her tracks.

It became apparent that—unlike in France—women were not welcome in the tavern.

Only men graced the tables and the chairs at the bar. Only men sipped on drinks from a variety of oddly shaped and decorated glasses. Only men reclined on sofas and pillows, picking at a variety of delicacies and delicious dishes.

And only men fell deafeningly silent and turned their gazes toward her when she walked in.

Immediately she backed out, knowing that she was not welcome there. She hastily began walking back the way she came—or so she thought.

She heard voices calling after her in the local dialect—male voices. She picked up her pace, but it was hard to do so in the sandals she had only just learned to walk in.

The voices were closing in. Belle had studied the language enough to know that they were asking of her.

"Stop, pretty lady!"

"We just want to talk with you!"

"And maybe talk some more!"

They all laughed at the last comment, which made her break out into a sprint. At this point she realized she was lost and outnumbered. She began to panic, with sweat gathering on her brow and her breathing becoming labored.

Even with the sun gone, the coolness of night had not replaced the heat of day quite yet.

She turned a corner and found herself in a dead end alley.

Belle turned around to face her pursuers. They had cornered her. Their hungry eyes glimmered in the light of the torches they carried with them. Flashbacks to the fearsome eyes of wolves in a snow-covered forest flooded her mind.

This time she had no savior.

She could only count on herself.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," she tried in her best Arabic. "I seem to be lost. Would you mind letting me pass?"

Their leader silently consulted with the others through nods and meaningful glances.

"Yes, beautiful," he responded with a lascivious look in his eye. "There is, however, a price to be paid for passage."

Belle knew by the smile on his face that the price to be paid was not a monetary one. Fear overcame her. She began to see everything in tunnel vision. She could only focus on a single menacing face or an individual object. Words failed her. She could hardly breathe.

Then she had it. A moment of clarity. She had a plan.

Without thought so much as instinct, she quickly climbed a pile of crates to her right and jumped to grab a wooden beam protruding from the side of the building. With her momentum she was able to swing up and over the men who had cornered her. She fell and rolled onto the street behind them and quickly ran up the street she had just been on.

Belle had a short gain on them, probably due to their shock at her acrobatics. She ran as fast as her legs could take her before she was forced to turn down another corner.

Up ahead she saw a figure, a lone figure.

 _Maybe they will take pity on me?_ , she wondered desperately.

The figure turned around right as she crashed into him.

All Belle could see were pair of brown eyes. They were darker than hers and astonishingly large. These eyes were friendly. She knew it the moment she saw them reflect the moonlight.

"Please, sir," she pleaded with him. "You have to help me."


	5. Chapter 5

*Quick note, should anyone else be reading this. I've edited the previous chapters for some errors and stylistic things. I hope to do better at proofreading next time!*

 _*_ I do not own any of these characters*

Chapter 5

Aladdin remembered being in this situation before: A young, beautiful woman in need of assistance, her eyes wide with fear as a man threatened her life. That time, he sprang into action and began a whole series of adventures he never imagined.

This time, he entered into a precarious situation again.

Placing himself between the pack of men that approached and the frightened woman, he bellowed, "Excuse me, gentlemen!"

They all stopped in their tracks creating small dust clouds at their feet.

Aladdin could feel the woman behind him look over his shoulder.

"Might I ask why you are chasing my wife?"

"Your wife?" one of them, a portly man with a blue sash tied around his large waist, said incredulously.

"Your 'wife' stepped into our club," another chimed in. "Women are not welcome and if your 'wife' knew anything about us, she'd know that women who usually walk in are looking for, how shall I say this delicately, employment?"

Aladdin became enraged. He had heard of these types of clubs. Calling it a club, though, was a misnomer. A club was for kids hiding in corners and playing games. These "clubs" were really misogynistic associations of men who were growing discontent with certain ideas spreading within Agrabah; namely, that women should be treated as equals.

After the Sultan gave his daughter the right to choose her own suitor, many saw it as a sign of the end times. Others though, saw it as a sign of much needed social change. Finally, women would be treated as equals to men.

Those who saw it as the former, however, began to band together and share their vitriolic ideas and thoughts in these associations or "clubs," as they called them.

And yes, this man was right. The only kind of woman to go to such a club was a woman so beaten down by society, so desperately in need of money that she would put herself in the service of such men just to survive.

Aladdin didn't know why this woman was there, if she did intend on indenturing herself to these men, or if she was merely confused or lost. Either way, he was filled with righteous anger.

It made his chest swell and his face become red with fury.

"My wife must have been confused. Clearly, she heard the sounds of whining children and thought they must be in need of some help."

"What did you call us?" a third, the tallest and most muscular said, stepping forward. He wore a dagger on his belt, upon which his hand currently rested.

"Children, I believe," the strange woman said, as she stepped to stand next to Aladdin.

She stood resolute before these men. There was no longer fear in her eyes, but a resolute glare.

"My husband, is correct," she said with an accent Aladdin couldn't place. She grabbed his hand for effect. "I thought I heard children playing."

Aladdin could feel the sweat on her palm when she gripped his hand. He squeezed it back and looked at her as if to say, "I am with you. You are safe with me." She nodded to him to show she understood.

The woman in the blue tunic turned back to her pursuers and continued, "However, I now see that I was wrong. You are not a group of children."

The men seemed to ease their tense stances. Some even lowered their hands from the blades tucked in their belts.

"You are just men who act like children," she said boldly.

Every jaw before them dropped.  
"RUN!" the woman shouted as she pulled on Aladdin's hand, taking them away from the uncouth barbarians that chased her.

Aladdin breathlessly asked her, "Do you even know where you're going?"

"No," she responded between breaths. "I thought you could help with that."

Aladdin chuckled. He liked this woman's spirit. "Follow me," he said, taking the lead as their pursuers continued after them.

He knew these streets better than anyone—better than the Sultan himself. He knew how to outmaneuver, outwit, and outlast anyone who chased him. This strange woman kept up with him, never losing speed or her direction when Aladdin would make a quick turn.

 _She's remarkable_ , he thought to himself.

Finally, when he was certain they had lost those men, he turned down the street where his home was. He quickly opened the front door and ushered her in, in case their tail had managed to catch up with them.

With heaving breaths, the woman collapsed on a chair near the door. Aladdin wiped the sweat from his face trying to find the nearest lamp so he could actually see around him.

When it was lit, and the room illuminated, he turned to face the woman.

Her veil had slipped down, revealing long brown hair that had fallen from its place. It was the color of tanned leather. It was neither too dark, nor too light. Just perfect. Her eyes were of a similar shade of brown. They reflected the lamp light and in that reflection, Aladdin could see that they weren't monochromatic, but had varying flecks of dark and light brown within them.

Her skin was very pale. The only other time he had seen such pale skin was when the occasional foreign visitor came to the store or cart, looking for souvenirs to bring home. She also had fair pink lips. They were delicate. Not too small and not too large.

 _Perfect lips_ , he thought before he quickly shook the thought out of his head. Here was a woman who had kept up with him, was daring and cunning, and helped save them both—and all he could do was think about her lips.

She spoke first. "Thank you, sir, for helping me."

"You are welcome, though I am sure you could have handled it on your own," he said with his winning smile.

She smiled in kind. Unfortunately for Aladdin, who had successfully pushed his focus on her beauty out of his head, her smile was also striking and distractingly so.

"What is your name?" he managed to say. He decided to distract himself with lighting more lamps before he turned back around.

"My name is Belle," she said, again with that smile.

"Nice to meet you, Belle. I'm Aladdin."

 **As I say in the description, this story is a bit of a slow burn, so give it time. Let it marinate! Enjoy!**


	6. Chapter 6

_*_ I do not own any of these characters*

Chapter 6

They sat there in silence sipping tea, unsure of what to say to one another. Belle had thanked him enough and Aladdin had told her it was his pleasure, it was his duty, and any number of responses to her gracious comments.

Belle fingered the curtains behind her to see if anyone was walking the streets. At this, hour, it was highly unlikely, but she didn't want to take any chances.

"Afraid to go outside?" Aladdin asked.

She shook her head, "No."

A brown lock of hair fell out of place, which she immediately tucked behind her ear. Little gestures like that that seemed to capture Aladdin's attention far more than they should. A tuck of her hair, a contented sigh, an arched eyebrow; all of them drew his eyes toward her.

And it was there his eyes stayed for what was apparently too much time, judging by Belle's reaction. She at first glanced awkwardly around the room when she caught him staring and, after noticing it hadn't stopped, she stood up.

"Well, I think it's time I better go," she said brushing off the blue tunic she wore.

"Are you sure?" Aladdin asked, suddenly snapping out of his trance.

He didn't know what chance he would have to see her again and he most certainly knew he couldn't ask to call upon her or where she lived, since he had sufficiently creeped her out it seemed.

"Yes," Belle responded quickly. _It would be nice if for once in my life, all creepy men just left me alone_ , she thought _._

"It's very dark out there and, as evidenced by earlier, not safe for you," Aladdin said coming across the room toward her.

Belle crossed her arms and arched one of her eyebrows. "And, as evidenced by earlier, I think I can handle myself."

"Really?" Aladdin said returning her incredulous tone with his own. With a flourish of his arm toward the door, he said, "Be my guest."

Those words brought to her mind's eye dancing cutlery, Lumiere singing, and all that delicious food. Her stomach echoed those thoughts by growling loudly—so loudly, that she covered it in embarrassment hoping Aladdin didn't hear.

He laughed a hearty laugh, throwing his head back. He looked back at her and ran his hand through his thick black hair. "It seems your stomach is also protesting your exit."

She remained silent, just standing there with her arms wrapped around her stomach. The memory, like all those of the castle and her life in it, were bittersweet. They made her stomach ache, but in a much deeper, more visceral way.

Aladdin could sense the mood had shifted.

"Hey," he said softly, tentatively reaching out his hand to rest on her shoulder. "You don't have to stay. I was only trying to be polite and look out for you. Clearly, you are capable of handling yourself, but you are also clearly hungry."

She just continued to stare back at him with an expression he could no longer read.

It was then, at this perfect moment where the two were staring into each others' eyes that his own stomach broke out in an audible growl.

They both burst into laughter.

"You make your own choices," Aladdin said. "I'm hungry and you're hungry. I'm making dinner and you are welcome to stay. That's all I will say on the matter."

He stepped back in a grand gesture bowing toward her saying, "Now, if my lady will excuse me, I am off to the kitchen to begin preparing dinner."

Aladdin headed back toward the kitchen, as promised. He wasn't going to force her to stay. He'd be no worse than those uncouth barbarians from earlier if he made her stay with him. She could make up her own mind.

He began pulling various pots and pans down from the rafters, where Abu had apparently been napping after consuming a large amount of dates as evidenced by the pits beside him.

The young man shook his head at the sleeping monkey, and turned around to get the ingredients from the pantry.

There Belle stood, with a small smile on her face. "How can I help?"

* * *

They were eating and laughing, struggling not to let pieces of couscous get stuck in their throats.

"Wait. Let's go over this again. You have a genie?"

" _Had_ ," Aladdin responded pointing his fork at her. "I set him free."

"How magnanimous of you," Belle said somewhat incredulously, as she fed a piece of food to Abu. The monkey, when he woke up, took quite a liking to their guest and was now perched on her shoulder.

"First of all, I'm not lying to you about the genie," he said in response to what he believed what her signature look of an arched eyebrow. "Second, I'm not that good of a person. I did use my first two wishes to try and win the princess's favor."

"Oh," Belle said, clearly intrigued.

"That's a long story for another time," Aladdin said trying to dissuade Belle's interest. Those wounds were too fresh to open up again.

"Oh." Her tone was now disappointed.

"Which, I would be happy to tell some other time," he said eagerly, picking up on her tone. "How about you stop by the shop this week?"

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah," Aladdin said with a wave of his hand. "Plus, Abu would probably like to see you again."

Abu let out a bunch of cries in response to the statement that seemed to be in the affirmative.

"What do you say?" Aladdin said leaning forward, dark brown eyes gleaming with delight.

Belle worried about the feelings that those eyes aroused in her. She was concerned they might lead her down a road she had been down before. It was a road she was not eager to traverse again.

She dismissed them. After all, she would be leaving Agrabah soon enough. What harm could come of a friendship with this Aladdin?

"Alright," she said with a smile. "I'll visit. Where exactly do you work, though?"

"In the textiles district," he said proudly. "I'm an apprentice to a merchant. We sell all kinds of things from raw materials, to bots of woven fabrics, to—" he bolted upright, "CARPETS!"

Belle was confused. "What? Why are you so excited about carpets?"

Aladdin was on his feet and leaning out a nearby window. He whistled loudly and came back to the table, muttering, "Why didn't I think of that before?"

"Would you mind informing the rest of the room of what is going on in your brain right now?" Belle teased.

"Sorry," Aladdin said. "So, in addition to the genie, which you may or may not believe in based on your tone earlier, I also have a magic carpet."

Quite frankly, Belle was in no place to judge to credulity of others' fantastic stories. She had, indeed, lived in an enchanted castle occupied by talking objects and a prince turned into a beast. Someone would probably judge her tale as equally untrue as Aladdin's. Still, Belle was no fool and was not quick to believe fantastic stories told by others to be any more than that: fantasy.

Still, she couldn't hide the disbelief in her voice. "A magic carpet?"

"Yes, a magic carpet," Aladdin rolled his eyes. "You know? It flies. It can take you home safely above the streets."

She just looked back at him, with her face full of doubt.

"Just wait and see. I'm only trying to help you."

Just then, with a _whoosh_ came in a blue and gold carpet through the window. Belle believed some conspirator must have thrown it into the window, until she saw it stand on two of its tassled corners.

"Wow," she murmured. "Here I thought I was the only one."

Aladdin looked confused. "The only what?"

"Person with magic in their life," Belle said walking around Carpet in admiration. It was beautifully embroidered. It's intricate detail was almost hypnotizing to the eye.

"Magic?"

Belle looked at him with surprise, as if she had forgotten he was even there. "Yes, magic."

Aladdin's face still conveyed confusion.

"That's a long story for another time," she said with a wicked smile.

"Promise?" he said reaching out his hand.

"Promise," she said putting hers in his.

As carpet hovered above the dining room floor, Belle took a seat on it with Aladdin's hand in hers. Before she took off into the night air, he gave her hand a squeeze, saying, "Until then."


	7. Chapter 7

This is roughly three times as long as any chapter I've written before, so I hope it makes up for how short my vignettes have been.

*I do not own any of these characters*

Chapter 7

A quizzical look covered Louise's face. Her lips pursed and her brow furrowed. "You want to go where, exactly?" she asked Belle.

Belle stood before her friend and let out as exasperated sigh as her hands rested on her hips. She was adorned in another ensemble Nadia had given to her. It was a sky blue tunic made a light material that breathed very easily. The sleeves on her tunic, which were decorated in intricate beading, reached her elbows where the hung loosely. Unlike the other tunic she wore previously, however, this one had two long slits on either side. Underneath the tunic, Belle had on a pair of pants with a fitted waist that was decorated in the same pattern of beading on her sleeves. Though the waist of the pants fit her snugly, the rest of the material hung from her hips and fell to the floor.

Though the way in which the breeze easily passed through the thin fabric made Belle feel practically naked, she did not care. It felt as though the entire ensemble had been made for her comfort in this unbearable heat. It was liberating.

"I want to go to the textiles district," Belle responded to her friend.

"Dressed like that?" Louise looked her up and down incredulously.

"Do you have any better solutions? You were the one complaining about the heat. This is our only choice if we actually want to see the city."

Louise sat on her sofa, contemplating her options as Belle pinned a matching veil to her light brown hair, which she had swept into a low bun.

"Now you're just being ridiculous," Louise said pointing to the veil.

"I'm just trying to fit in!" Belle responded. "I would also not like to waste the time we have here. There is so much to see in Agrabah and we have barely scratched the surface!"

Belle walked to the wide window in Louise's room and leaned out as the breeze whipped past her. She could see the city and out of the corner of her eye, she caught the gleaming gold towers of the palace. She spread her arms wide before her and turned her head back to address her friend who still was reclined.

"Look what lays before you!"

"Exactly," Louise said standing up to join her friend by the window. "I can see everything I need to see from here. And, I don't need to risk heatstroke or looking like a fool to do it."

Belle just shook her head in her hands as her friend placed a hand on her shoulder.

"But if you want to go out there, be my guest."

Belle grimaced. _Why does everyone use that damned phrase?_ , she thought to herself pushing out thoughts of Lumière, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts...and Adam.

"Are you sure?" she prodded.

Taking Belle's delicate hands in hers, Louise responded, "Yes."

After getting her friend's blessing to leave, the young woman shot out of the house. It wasn't that she felt she needed Louise's permission. Belle was a free spirit, after all. She didn't want to, however, leave a friend behind so she could venture on her own. Louise—for all her flaws—had actually been a kind friend to Belle. Though they were very different in some respects, they both had a passion for reading and learning. It just seemed that Louise's passion did not extend beyond the walls of a comfortable home.

Belle adjusted her veil as she walked in the direction of textile district. She took in all of the sites around her and studied every detail. Agrabah couldn't be more different from the cities in France she had seen. While the streets there were often covered in cobblestones, here there were mostly dirt roads packed over years of feet traversing them. Buildings were made of bricks or solid slabs of the same color as the dirt roads. While one might think this made for a monochromatic visual palette, fabrics hung from windows and roofs of various colors and patterns. It was a veritable rainbow if one only looked up and considered the tarps people had extended from rooftop to rooftop in order to provide shade to those below.

Occasionally, Belle would stop in a shop or admire some local wares. When her stomach began to grumble, she bought a bag of dates from one of the local vendors.

There, too, among the food vendors who lined the streets, Belle's eyes were taken in by all the treats, spices, and dishes she had never seen before. Her Arabic was still a bit rusty, so she was only aware of what a handful of the foods before her were, but boy did they smell delicious.

Soon, once she walked into what was now the commercial district, the stalls of food were replaced with stalls selling various trinkets and objects. There were men selling opulent jewels while others shouted about their pottery. Women haggled with a vendor over what appeared to be toys for children.

It was easy to get lost in all of the splendor.

Indeed, it wasn't before long that she realized she had missed Aladdin's shop altogether and had to double back. When she saw the name above the arched doorway, she walked in.

She was nervous for some inexplicable reason. _Is it Aladdin?_ , she wondered to herself. Though she barely knew him, her subconscious must have recognized something good in him when she decided to trust him that night. Their meal together was full of laughter and tall tales. And, if his tall tales were to be believed, they both shared the experience of real, true magic in their lives. Aladdin might be one of the few people who actually believed her tales of falling in love with a cursed beast and living in a castle full of enchanted objects, instead of laughing her off as crazy.

She shook off her nerves as she walked around the front of the store, which was currently vacant. Men did not typically make her nervous, or so she thought—at least not in this way. No man in her village, especially not Gaston, ever made her heart beat fast.

Though Adam when she first met him as the Beast had frightened her, that was because he was, well, a beast. In fact, their love was slow burning, so much so that even as she fell for him she was so unsure of her feelings that she never went through the traditional experiences most women described, like getting butterflies in their stomach or feeling their heart race.

Belle sighed audibly as she began to think of Adam. She became lost in her thoughts and the anticipation in her heart was replaced with melancholy—that is, until a screeching Abu came from nowhere and landed on her shoulder.

"Hi, there, Abu," Belle said laughing at the creature who was clearly pleased to see her. "Would you like a date?"

The monkey chattered away in what seemed to be an affirmative. He gladly accepted the treat she handed to him and devoured it instantly throwing the pit to the floor.

He reached out for more.

"I'm sorry, my friend, but that was the last one," Belle said with a pout.

Abu sadly uttered some sounds she couldn't understand.

"Where's Aladdin?" she asked.

The monkey, who she just noticed was dressed in a purple vest and red fez hat, pointed to the back of the store. He then jumped to the rafters after uttering sounds that vaguely sounded like, "Follow me!"

Belle shook her head. She must be in need of water if she thought the monkey was actually communicating with her.

At the back of the store was a long hallway that lead to a rear courtyard. In the courtyard, which was surrounded by high walls, boxes and crates were piled high. Some were empty, while others hadn't even been opened it seemed. A door in the rear wall opened up to reveal Aladdin carrying another crate.

"Thanks, Ali," he shouted over his shoulder. "We'll see you in a month with our next shipment!"

When the door closed behind him, he turned around and locked eyes with Belle. He dropped the crate in surprise and let out a loud yelp.

Belle was transfixed and stood in her place for far too long before rushing to help him remove his pinned foot from the crate. He was not wearing a shirt as he carried the crate in the courtyard. Belle could see sweat glistening off of his tan arms and his broad shoulders.

He was quite a sight to behold.

When he dropped the crate, she saw the rest of his exposed torso. It, too, was tan in what could only be described as a delicious shade of brown. His abdomen was well defined, with muscles Belle had only seen in depictions of Greek warriors or gladiators.

The Frenchwoman could only spend so much time staring before it became puzzling why she wouldn't help her friend in need.

"Thank you," Aladdin said wincing after she lifted the crate off of his foot.

"Can you walk on it?" she asked him as he gingerly put his foot to the ground.

"I can try!"

He took one step and fell onto Belle, who managed to stay standing under his weight.

"No, no I can't," he said with a laugh.

"Here," Belle said, pulling back her veil and taking his arm over his shoulder. "Let me help you."

He hobbled, putting his weight on her, back into the store. There they found a chair in the front room for him and a box for Aladdin to prop his foot on.

Belle, once again struggling not to stare at his muscular features, focused on Aladdin's face. Unfortunately, that, too, was distractingly handsome with his thick black hair and large dark eyes that currently were expressing pain.

She took to staring at his injured foot to keep her stomach from turning into knots, as she felt it was about to do if she continued to look at him.

"It's too bad you don't have ice or cold water here," she muttered to herself.

Aladdin chuckled in a way that made Belle feel he knew something she didn't know. "Well, we actually might. Hey, Genie, you around?"

Before Belle could protest that despite the magic carpet she still did not believe in Aladdin's genie tale, a voice spoke behind her, "What's up, little buddy?"

The young woman let out a shriek when she saw the man before her. He appeared out of nowhere. He stood tall and imposing, but not in a menacing way. His skin was a striking shade of cobalt blue and his baggy pants matched. The red sash at his waist was matched by his shoes, which curled at the toes. Belle nearly giggled, for she had never seen anything quite like them.

"Who is this lovely and frightened lady?" Genie gestured to Belle.

"Genie, Belle, Belle, Genie," Aladdin said with pain in his voice.

"Enchanté, mademoiselle," Genie responded planting a kiss on her hand. His lips were shockingly cold.

"Enchantée, monsieur," Belle replied with a curtsy and a laugh.

"When you two are done talking in French, do you mind helping me?" the young man in the chair said exasperatedly.

"What seems to be the problem, Al?" Genie asked walking over to him.

"He dropped a crate on his foot," Belle replied for him. "I think I scared him."

"Al, how could you be scared by a woman as beautiful as this?" Genie said.

The young people blushed as neither made eye contact with the other.

"I was just startled, okay?" he replied with a huff. "One moment the courtyard was empty, the next thing there's a lady in blue there. Now, can we actually talk about my foot?"

Aladdin seemed to be getting cranky, which was understandable. His foot has started to swell and bruise where the crate had dropped on it.

"Yes," Belle said. She turned to the Genie, still trying to get over his shocking shade of blue. "I was just saying to Aladdin it would be nice if we had some ice or something cold for his foot."

"That can be done!" Genie said promptly pointing his finger in the air. With a _pop_ he vanished.

For all the magic Belle had seen, that was something new.

"See, I told you," a smug voice said.

Belle turned to Aladdin who had a smirk on his face. "Fine, fine. I had my doubts, but the magic carpet and Genie have convinced me you aren't a liar."

"Wait. You thought I was lying?" Aladdin said with fake hurt in his voice. "I can't believe you would doubt me!"

Belle crossed her arms and arched her eyebrow. "Right. Because I should believe everything strange men tell me, especially when it comes to tales of genies and flying carpets."

Aladdin just shrugged.

"Do you mind if I examine your foot?" she continued.

"Be my guest," he gestured at the swollen mass.

 _Why does everyone insist on using that phrase?!_ , she yelled internally.

"Are you even a doctor?" he said, wincing as she poked, prodded, and pulled at his foot.

"No," she said. "But, I've read many medical textbooks and guides on medical treatments."

He cried out in pain when she put pressure on one of the bones in his foot she thought likely had fractured.

"Watch it!" he yelled at her.

She stared daggers at him with his foot still in his hand. "You're in pain. You've likely fractured or broken your foot. I also still happen to have said broken foot in my hand. Do you really want to yell at me right now?"

"No," he replied petulantly after a brief staring contest with her.

With an audible _pop_ , Genie appeared to Belle's right with a burlap bag filled with ice.

"This is perfect," she said to him. "Thank you!"

She gingerly rested the bag of ice on Aladdin's foot as he winced.

"Do you have any fabric I could borrow to wrap your foot in? Something like cotton?"

Aladdin nodded. "In the back, toward the end of the hallway, there should be some odds and ends you could work with."

After locating enough pieces of fabric long enough to do the trick, Belle returned to wrap Aladdin's foot. She had seen this outlined in a medical text she had read before. For a brief period in her life, all she read were medical textbooks. She poured over them for solutions or cures for a particular disease. In doing so, she learned much more than she had ever wanted to about the human body and treating its ailments.

But she never found what she was really looking for.

"There," she said as she finished wrapping it. "You need to stay off that foot for at least four weeks. Keep icing it for fifteen minutes with half hour breaks in between. Also, it's important that you keep your foot elevated if you want to keep the swelling down."

Both he and Genie had amazed looks on their faces when she stared back at them. "I thought you said you weren't a doctor," Aladdin said.

"I'm not," she replied. "I just know a lot of things. I read a lot and I have read a lot. On my way back, I can send for a doctor to make sure I didn't misdiagnose you and to see if he has any better treatments for you, as well as crutches to help you get around."

"You don't have to do that," Aladdin said suddenly shamefaced. He had probably realized he was being too harsh toward the woman who was just trying to help him. Belle guessed Genie's current glare at the young man had something to do with that.

"No, I do. I scared you and made you drop the crate, and I should make up for it."

Aladdin jumped out of his seat suddenly, with an expression of excitement on his face. Whatever had come to his mind was so important, he had forgotten about his broken foot until he stepped on it again and yelped in pain.

"Sit down, little buddy," Genie said to him. "What's wrong with you? Does Belle need to make sure you didn't somehow break your head, too?"

"I just had a brilliant idea," Aladdin said.

"Don't trust this kid's brilliant ideas," Genie stage whispered to Belle. She chuckled in response.

Aladdin shot a menacing look at him, which given his current situation, only made him look like a petulant child angry at his parent. Belle laughed even more.

"Sorry, eh-hem," she said clearing her throat in between the giggles. "What were you saying? You have an idea?"

"Yes," Aladdin responded tersely. "You said you can read, right?"

"That would be an understatement," she retorted.

"Well, I need help with the books here. Since I won't be at my full strength any way, my boss will likely put me onto clerical duties instead. How about you help me with those to make up for incapacitating me?"

He smiled at her with a bright white smile. Ordinarily, Belle was not the kind of woman to be persuaded into such an arrangement that seemed to greatly benefit another at her expense. Indeed, were it not for the fact that she was the source of his incapacitation—not to mention his charm, his looks, and that winning way he smiled at her—Belle probably wouldn't have even considered such an arrangement.

But, she felt guilty.

And, she did come to the shop today in order to spend more time with him.

And, she enjoyed the time they had spent together—broken foot aside.

A few weeks of helping him out didn't seem like such a bad arrangement after all.

 _Maybe if you're lucky, he'll keep working shirtless_ , a voice in the back of her head chimed in. She blushed wildly at the thought.

"Fine," she conceded. "I'll help you."

Aladdin flashed that winning grin at her again. "Great. I will see you tomorrow, early in the morning."

She shook her head, implying that she was not too happy with this arrangement, though secretly she couldn't deny her anticipation to see him again.

"Tomorrow it is," she said as she walked out toward the door.

"Oh, and Belle?" he called out after her. She turned around, secretly grateful that she could get one more look at the handsome young man. "Would you actually mind sending that doctor?" he said with a sheepish smile.

"Not at all," she responded and walked out.

By the time she found a physician and sent him to Aladdin's shop, she started to worry. She had taken upon the task of helping a helpless man before. Though he hadn't broken her heart, it still ultimately left her heartbroken and alone.

 _Mon Dieu_ , she said to herself as she finally returned home. _What am I getting myself into?_


	8. Chapter 8

Another longer chapter that's a little fluffy.

*I do not own any of these characters*

Chapter 8

Aladdin woke up with the first hints of dawn on the horizon. He slept with the doors to his balcony wide open in the middle of the night. While it served to keep his bedroom cool in the evenings, it was also comforting.

He had yet to adjust to the confines of a true, real home. His previous home, if you could call it that, was far from confining. It provided shelter, certainly, but with all of the broken walls and fallen ceiling tiles, Aladdin never felt that he was surrounded or entrapped.

Now, his new home made him feel claustrophobic. That isn't to say that he wasn't grateful to actually have a roof over his head. Or, that nights when it rained or got freezing cold he wasn't grateful to have blankets and doors to keep temperatures reasonable. On nights like that, he recalled when he huddled around Abu for warmth, wondering if they would ever survive to see the next dawn, and considered himself now lucky.

Nevertheless, whenever he had the chance, Aladdin would throw open all of the doors and windows he could so he could feel the breeze flowing through the house and feel as much of that liberation he once had that he could.

The other benefit of the east-facing balcony doors, besides allowing the sun to wake him and the cool breezes to comfort him, was that Aladdin did not look out onto the palace every day and every night as he had before. In fact, what Aladdin once considered the best view in the city, he could only find by climbing to his roof—if he ever so chose to engage in such a masochistic act.

Occasionally, he unwillingly caught a glint of gold in his eyes when he walked to work. It only reminded him of what could have been: him and Jasmine, living together in love, reigning over Agrabah as their beloved leaders. He wished he still didn't have this nostalgia for a life that never was.

"Some wounds take longer to heal, Al," Genie once told him. "Especially those that we cannot see." Aladdin was surprised at the typically goofy Genie's sincere words, and even more disappointed when he found that they were true.

Aladdin hobbled through getting dressed and eating breakfast, falling over only twice in the process. Though the doctor that Belle sent to see him had given him crutches, they actually made things, like putting on his cream colored shirt and navy blue pants, more difficult. Those tasks, however, paled in comparison to the balancing act Aladdin had to achieve in order to tie his red belt around his waist. _I'll be lucky if I don't break another bone in my body before my foot heels_ , he thought bitterly after his second fall trying to get a bowl off a tall shelf.

When he finally walked out into the brightness of the fully risen sun, Aladdin discovered three new bruises on his forearms. Sighing, he crutched his way to the shop. By the time he was there, he had broken out into a sweat.

"Injured people sure make this look easy," Aladdin said to Mr. Alavi as he hobbled his way through the shop doors.

"Aladdin, my good man, what happened to you?" his boss said to him as the young man took a seat behind a counter. Aladdin relayed the previous day's events with red cheeks full of shame. If it weren't for the Sultan's arrangement with Mr. Alavi, Aladdin was sure he would have otherwise been fired.

"Well," Mr. Alavi said as he stroked his thick salt and pepper moustache, "I think we will be okay in terms of manual labor while you heal. In fact, this might be the perfect time for you to start getting to work on the books!"

Mr. Alavi, unsurprisingly given his ever-positive attitude, turned this bane into a boon.

"Heh, sure," Aladdin said hesitantly. "Whatever you need me to do, I will do it!"

As if on cue, Belle walked into the shop. Today, she was wearing a dark green tunic with short sleeves that was sheer enough to see the cropped shirt she wore beneath it and the high-waisted flowing pants that hung from her hips. The hems of her tunic and pants were decorated in tiny beaded tassels that made noise like a beaded curtain with her every movement.

"May I help you, ma'am?" Mr. Alavi inquired to what he thought was a customer.

"No, thank you, sir," she said with her slight French accent. "I am actually here to see Aladdin."

Mr. Alavi looked back and forth between the two as if he was confused. With a genuine smile, he finally turned to Belle and said, "Well, ma'am, I am afraid he is unable to take social calls at the moment since he is about to get started on his work, but you are welcome to look at any of our goods or come back when he is done."

Behind Mr. Alavi, Aladdin gave Belle a wide-eyed look and mouthed, "Don't go!"

The storeowner quickly turned his head when he noticed the young patroness looking behind him. Aladdin immediately transformed his face to a big grin in response.

"Well, sir," Belle said slowly as if trying to buy herself some time, "you see…I was the one who caused Aladdin's injury. I startled him during his work and it is because of me that he is in this state. I know that you might not look too kindly upon me hovering around here, especially since I probably can't offer much help, but if I could help Aladdin in any way during his convalescence and therefore you, I would gladly do so."

She was the picture of feminine demureness from Aladdin's vantage point. She had conjured the perfect cover for their arrangement in a matter of seconds. Furthermore, she had played right into some of the locals' insistence that women be subservient. Though Aladdin knew Belle was not such a woman, she was clever enough to assume that an older gentleman such as Mr. Alavi would prefer a woman who was here to serve Aladdin rather than teach him.

Furthermore, though Mr. Alavi was no chauvinist, like the men the young pair had previously run into, he was part of the old guard still unsure of the cultural shifts happening in Agrabah regarding women's self-determination. He would never harm or hurt a woman, nor treat her with disrespect; rather, he was wary of changes in traditional roles that had remained unaltered for hundreds of years.

 _What a woman_ , Aladdin thought.

He shook his head when Mr. Alavi turned to him, contemplating the arrangement this strange foreign young woman proposed. "Aladdin, is this acceptable to you?"

"Of course!" Aladdin said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I probably won't need her help anyway, but just in case, it would be good to have her around. And don't worry, Mr. Alavi, I'll make sure she stays in line."

Aladdin winked at Belle, who fumed in response to his last comment. When the shop owner turned around to face her, she, however, quickly responded with a humble smile.

"So, it is done!" Mr. Alavi exclaimed with a clap of his hands. "My boy, let me show you what I need to have done before I go to the stall in the market."

The young man could feel his stomach turn into knots and his heart beat race as Mr. Alavi began explaining to him all of the tasks that were needed of him.

"Shouldn't you be taking notes of all this, my good man?"

"Nope! I've got it all up here!" Aladdin lied as he tapped his forehead.

He was panicking until he noticed that Belle had quietly made her way near the counter. She pretended to be looking at some of the fabrics they had on display, while in fact she was paying attention to everything Mr. Alavi said to Aladdin.

Aladdin breathed a sigh of relief.

 _She is always one jump ahead._ Aladdin chuckled to himself as he remembered his former claims about his own prowess among the palace guards.

"Something amusing?" Mr. Alavi said to Aladdin. The usually unabashedly positive man seemed to be getting slightly annoyed with Aladdin who not only seemed to be distracted, but was now laughing at his instructions.

"No, sir," Aladdin said sitting straight up in his chair.

"Remember, it's because of the Sultan you have this job, not your qualifications. Don't make me have to report you to him," he said with a stern but gentle voice. "Now, do you think you can handle all of that?"

"Of course, sir," Aladdin said with enthusiasm. He brushed off the reminder that all his good fortune was due to the generosity of the royal family, though he didn't appreciate that Belle was around to hear it.

"Good luck!" Mr. Alavi said to Aladdin as he walked out the door.

After a brief moment to make sure he was truly gone, Aladdin turned to Belle with a desperate look in his eyes.

She put her delicate hand up, as if to stop him from saying anything. "Don't worry. I've got it all up here," she said with a playful smile, pointing at her head.

They pair sat behind the desk for most of the morning after Belle had written down all of the tasks required of Aladdin. They both agreed that the best system would be to have Aladdin learn the basics as soon as possible, namely, writing numbers, and letters. While he would practice, Belle would work on whatever tasks he needed to do in the books.

They would eventually have to explain why all of a sudden Aladdin's handwriting changed when he took up those very tasks, but that was a minor problem among many of the major ones that could undo their arrangement.

"Thank you," Aladdin said to her after they had mapped out their strategy. "You really don't have to do this."

"Please. I owe you at least something for causing you to break your foot. Even so, it's really no trouble for me and it gives me an excuse to leave the confines of my residence."

"Do you not like it?" Aladdin inquired as Belle began to write down the notes that would guide today's lesson. She was already distracted by her work and didn't immediately respond.

"Hello?" Aladdin nudged her with a crutch.

"What?" she turned to him with large, confused brown eyes. "Oh, my residence. I like it as well as I like any other place to rest. My friends and the people who attend to us are very kind, but unlike my compatriots, I would rather be out and about than lounging all day. You know?"

Aladdin smiled and nodded in agreement. He recognized she was a kindred spirit, someone who, too, did not like the confines of four walls. She probably came to Agrabah in search of adventure, hoping to see the world beyond that which she knew. She probably relished in the chance to be in a new city, a new place, with new people.

 _If only_ she _had a magic carpet, too_ , Aladdin thought to himself.

"That's it!" he hollered starting Belle, causing her to jump out of the chair she had perched on.

"What? What's it?" she said clutching her heart and grasping the counter for stability.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. It's just, this is too much what you're doing for me. I have to even things out with you."

"No, you don't," she said exasperatedly putting her chair back into place and turning to her work.

"Yes, I do." He reached out and rested his hand on her arm. He could feel her smooth skin against his calloused palm. He had to resist the temptation to run his hand along her arm to feel how smooth her skin actually was.

"This is too much for you to do, and you know it," he continued. "So, you will have to let me pay you back in some way."

"Okay," Belle said with resignation in her voice. "How do you propose you pay me back?"

"Do you trust me?"

She cocked that perfectly shaped eyebrow of hers again. Before he could ask the question twice, as he remembered he had done with another before, she said, "Yes."

"Well, then, you will just have to see."


	9. Chapter 9

I have not had a chance to write in a while, so this chapter is just to tide over until I have more time to write something with more substance.

*I do not own any of these characters*

Chapter 9

Belle waited on the balcony outside her room. When the workday had ended, Belle and Aladdin parted ways but not before he made her promise to wait for him later that evening.

"On my balcony?" she said incredulously.

"Yes," he responded with a wide grin.

"That seems a little theatrical to me," she said with an easy laugh.

Aladdin was confused. "How is that theatrical?"

Belle blushed. She realized that the once poor boy—no, man—likely had never seen a play or read one and didn't realize that a young woman waiting on a balcony was a common trope.

Aladdin, noting Belle's discomfort, paused in his crutching to turn to her. "Hey," he said gently. "How about you explain it to me later?"

She smiled in response. "Gladly."

They parted ways down the streets of Agrabah, both eagerly looking forward to the evening.

Later that night, while she stood on her balcony, Belle felt a tug in her stomach. It was the same tug that she felt when she said goodbye to Aladdin. It was as if something was pulling her away from where she was and with great urgency.

Her heart also felt uneasy. It was not in a disquieting way, the way one might feel when facing down a pack of wolves or encountering a beast in an enchanted castle.

No.

It was the unease one feels when they are on the precipice of falling for someone. That simultaneous thrill and nausea of not knowing whether one has encountered a kindred soul and companion or an acquaintance who disappoints your expectations. Aladdin could be one or the other. There were traits in him that reminded her of Gaston: that roguish smile, that easy charm, and that undeniable confidence. There were also traits in him that reminded her of Adam, though she hated to admit it, for Aladdin was kind, eager to please, and clearly brave.

 _What kind of man will he be?_ , she wondered to herself. He could disappoint her, as Gaston and so many men before and after him did. He could also surprise her. She had been surprised before by a man who seemed unlikely to elicit any smidgeon of affection from her, and yet she later found herself declaring her love for that very man.

 _Would Aladdin be the same?_ Belle cleared that thought from her head. She wasn't ready for thoughts like those. Not now. Not this soon. She must distract herself from those ideas, for they were likely to lead her down a road she did not yet want to travel down.

Belle, therefore, intended to study the view spread out before her as a means of distraction. At night, Agrabah lit up with lamps along streets and in windows casting a pale yellow light on the various roads and buildings within the city. The pale yellow lights flickered before her, especially those in the distance. The books she read told her that this happened due to heat rising from the hot earth as it cooled at night.

The same flickering was mirrored in the stars in the sky above her. The glistened in various shades: some yellow like the lights of Agrabah, others various shades of blue and pale red.

Belle had turned down the lamps in her room so she could better see the stars above her. As she gazed out, she saw a dark shape obscure some of the stars. It quickly darted out of view before she could identify it.

 _Probably some bird_ , she thought.

Looking off to where the sky met the vast desert before her, she saw it again: that dark shape in the corner or her eye. This time it was much larger, but still just as fast. This time, it fell in a free fall behind some buildings in the distance. She then heard the distant clatter of pottery and a shrill scream.

"What—" she started to say to herself before Aladdin's face appeared before her eyes.

"AAH!" she shouted and slapped him in the face.

"Ow!" he cried in response as his head snapped to the side.

Belle gasped behind her hands. She was mortified. "Aladdin," she said reaching out toward his him as he rubbed his reddening cheek. "I'm so sorry! You startled me."

The young man shrugged at her and winced as he tried to grin. "It's my own fault. I should know better than to catch you unawares."

She realized that the young man was floating before her. She peered over the balcony. Underneath Aladdin's crossed legs was Carpet, floating lazily. A tassel waved up at her.

Belle waved back. She wondered if Carpet was like the objects in the Enchanted Castle—sentient humans cursed to living in previously inanimate objects—or something different. Maybe he was just a carpet gifted with sentience. Belle would have to remind herself to ask Aladdin about that in the future.

"This is your idea to 'repay' me?" Belle said standing back and making air quotes with her fingers. "I don't mean to be ungrateful, but you _do_ remember that I have taken a ride on Carpet before, right?"

Aladdin chuckled as he ran his hand through his thick black hair and shrugged. "I know," he said looking back at Belle with his dark brown eyes that reflected the moonlight. Belle realized she was staring too deeply into them and quickly turned her attention to a stain on the railing before her.

"I haven't forgotten your brief journey on him," Aladdin continued to say. "But that was just scratching the surface of what we can do on Carpet!"

The young man reached out his hand toward Belle expectantly

She raised her eyebrow and stepped away from Aladdin. Now, she was very concerned that he had misread her intentions. Yes, he was a handsome man to behold and she could not deny that she enjoyed spending time with him, but just as she previously decided to discard any romantic thoughts of him, she also was not planning on engaging in any romantic activities with _anyone_ at the moment.

"Aladdin," she said quietly looking away from him. "I think you may have misunderstood, I—"

He cut her off before she could finish, actually grabbing her hand this time as Carpet propelled him forward and transformed into stairs so Aladdin could now stand on the balcony with her. "No! No! I didn't mean anything like that. I promise! I didn't mean to imply that we would do anything, um, I guess, scandalous. It's that I wouldn't want to—I mean, I wouldn't."

Belle pulled her hand away to cross her arms in indignation. She was perturbed, which was confusing for just the moment before she had been angry that he seemed to imply romantic interest in her.

His face was flushed with embarrassment.

"I guess I'm not as savvy with my words as you are," he said sinking back down onto Carpet.

Belle took pity on the young man, who now almost appeared like a chastised boy before her. He was right. She certainly had a deeper grasp of words and using them to express her thoughts. She knew that much from their interactions so far.

"It's okay," she said as she took a step to close the space that had grown between them. "I should have known you are too much of a gentleman to suggest anything untoward."

Aladdin let out his easy laugh, apparently relieved that she didn't actually think him a lecherous man or a miscreant. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm a gentleman in the traditional sense of the word, but I respect and admire you, Belle. And, I intend on repaying you for all the kindness you have shown me."

Belle smiled contentedly at him. He was one of few men who had ever acknowledged such sentiments toward her, and only one of two who wasn't a family member or the bookshop owner back in her town.

"Then tell me your plan," she said to him.

"I would rather show you," he responded with a wide grin.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Aladdin was surprised that Belle took to his suggestion of putting on a blindfold so readily—well, readily for _her_ it seemed. After she stepped onto Carpet, he handed it to her with as innocent a smile as he could produce—especially after their previous misunderstanding regarding what they could do on Carpet.

"Would you be okay putting on a blindfold?" he had asked her.

"Why?" she prodded. "Are you going to kill me?"

"No," he said sheepishly as he ran his hand through his hair. "I know that you are familiar with the geography of the world. I figured that you would be able to guess where we are going just by looking out or over. For everything you've done for me, I had hoped I could make this as genuine a surprise as possible."

Aladdin felt the color rise in his cheeks. After he finished speaking, he knew he had let on too much. He had probably revealed in those few words how he had spent hours thinking of where to take her after they parted ways that afternoon. He called upon Genie for advice, as he had taken to traversing the world—and possibly the universe—since his emancipation.

When that didn't work, Aladdin even asked Abu for help by perching the him on top of a spinning globe and waiting for the monkey to point his finger to a random place.

Every suggestion seemed lackluster to Aladdin.

"No, she's been there," when Genie suggested they travel to Paris.

"What?! You know how cold it can get _there_!" Aladdin said when Abu pointed to the North Pole.

"What am I going to do?" he said with his face buried in his hands. He plopped back onto a sofa in his sitting room. Genie floated next to him with a contemplative look on his face as he stroked his cobalt chin. "She probably won't be impressed with anything."

"Al, is the goal here to impress her or to thank her?" Genie asked suspiciously.

Aladdin caught the hidden meaning of his words. "Don't start. Yes it is to thank her."

Genie responded with a single raised eyebrow.

"Fine," the young man said as he threw a pillow that Genie easily dodged. "Maybe I _do_ want to impress her. What's so wrong about that?"

"Nothing, little buddy. I just didn't realize you had recovered from…you know."

"I honestly don't know if I am yet," Aladdin said quietly as he stared up at an ornately decorated ceiling. "But I won't know for certain unless I try to move on."

"Well, all the luck in the world to you," Genie said. "Even if Belle isn't the one for you, always remember there are plenty of fish in the sea."

Aladdin jumped up.

"Genie! That's it!"

"What? What's it? What did I say?"

"The sea. I know exactly where I will take her."

"Al, the sea is not _that_ far away…and I'm pretty sure she came here on a boat."

"No, no!" Aladdin said waving his friend away as he went into a room he seldom used: the library. He lit a few lamps and pulled down a book he had once perused before.

"This!" he said turning to his blue friend and pointing to a picture in a book. "This is where I am going to take her."

Genie gave Aladdin and thumbs up while Abu chattered on his shoulder in agreement.

"So, will you put this on?" Aladdin asked Belle again as they floated above Agrabah. Carpet had meandered a few hundred feet above the city, waiting for Aladdin's go ahead before taking off.

Belle let out a sigh. "Fine. But only because I trust you," she said pointing her finger at him.

She wrapped the fabric around her eyes and tied it behind her head. Aladdin waved at her to see if she would respond. He then made a silly face to be sure she wasn't just faking. Thankfully, she didn't do anything.

"Carpet, you ready?" he asked looking down at the richly decorated fabric beneath him. A tassel gave a thumbs up. "Belle, you might want to grab on to my waist."

"Might I?" she said incredulously folding her arms. Even blindfolded, Aladdin could still see the arch of an eyebrow peak out from under the fabric.

He shrugged his shoulders though she couldn't see it. "Your funeral," he muttered.

"WHA-" Belle began to say (and eventually scream) as Carpet took off into the night. Aladdin chuckled as he felt her grope around behind him. Eventually, two slender arms wrapped themselves around his torso. Her bent knees fell beside his thighs as she scooted closer to him. Of course, it was not close enough to be improper—just enough to ensure security, which produced a surprising amount of dismay in Aladdin.

"When will I know where we are going?" she said into his ear. The warmth of her breath tickled his skin in a surprisingly pleasant way.

"Um," he struggled to find the words with her proximity clouding his thoughts. "I can't tell you yet. It has to be a _real_ surprise."

Looking over his shoulder, he could see Belle's pursed lips. "Fine," she responded like a petulant child.

"I could take you back if you'd like," he suggested.

"No!" she shouted quickly. "No. I am excited to see where you will take me. I'm just a little impatient."

Aladdin chuckled. "I can tell. Don't worry. Carpet will have us there sooner than you think."

And with that, Carpet sped off even quicker into the night sky.

* * *

Belle wasn't sure if she was imagining it or her eyes were growing accustomed to the darkness of her blindfold, but she could have sworn that the light behind it was growing brighter.

"Is the sun rising?" she asked Aladdin. She was still gripping onto his waist, though not as tightly now that she had become accustomed to Carpet's speed.

"I guess it technically is," he said to her.

"What do you mean?"

"I would say that it's more that were are rising toward the sun."

"So we are headed west."

"Dammit," he said to himself.

"Why the need for language?" she asked poking him gently in the ribs with a laugh.

"Because I gave something away."

"That we're heading west?" she said. Her legs were beginning to cramp.

"Yes," Aladdin said crestfallen. Though she was blindfolded, Belle could imagine the exact look on his face as he said it. She smiled to herself. Though she and Aladdin had only just met, she felt as though she already knew so much about him—his moods, his expressions, his laugh—and yet so little all at the same time.

"For all I know, you're taking us around the world and back again. Were we to head east _or_ west, we could still end up in the same place after a certain amount of time. So, in reality, you've given nothing away!"

"I guess you're right," he said, somewhat relieved after she made her point.

Belle's legs were really beginning to hurt her. She was trying hard to keep them where they were, but it was becoming too painful. Pins and needles began to prick her feet from within and she was pretty sure that she had lost feeling in all of her toes.

She audibly winced at one point, which prompted Aladdin to slow Carpet down.

"Are you okay?" Aladdin said as he turned around. Belle still could only see into the darkness of her blindfold.

"I'm fine," she said, not wanting her pain to be known. After all, they hadn't been flying that long and she did not want to be a poor travel companion.

"Tell me," he said. It wasn't a command so much as a gentle and firm request.

"My legs hurt," she said with a chuckle.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Aladdin said exasperatedly. "You know there's plenty of room to move about on this thing!"

Belle scooted back from him, again not sure if he realized the double entendre beneath his words.

"No!" he shouted. "No, it's not like that. Ugh. Here."

Soon Belle was blinded by the light of the rising sun before her. "Ow!" she said. "Thanks for the warning."

"Sorry," the dark haired man replied as she rubbed her eyes. When they adjusted to the light, she looked up at him.

"I'm not making any suggestions, I promise," he continued. "There's plenty of room here for you and me. In fact, you sit in front and stretch out your legs and I'll sit right behind you. I promise, there won't be any deceit on my part."

He crossed his heart and looked at her with puppy dog eyes.

Belle was not sure if she bought it. There were quite a few men who would take advantage of a woman in this situation. _Is Aladdin one of them?_ she briefly thought. She shook her head. _Of course not. He's too kind for any of that_. Belle smiled at him. "Okay."

With that, she took Carpet's helm. Spreading her legs out sent instant shots of pain followed by soothing relief as her legs uncramped before her. She leaned back to put her hands behind her, only to find Aladdin's legs right there next to her hips.

Her hands slipped off his muscular thighs leaving her head right in the middle of his lap.

She looked up at him with flushed cheeks while he just looked down curiously.

They both laughed.

"How are we going to figure out our seating arrangement without running into improper situations like this?" Belle asked without moving.

"Maybe I was wrong, but I thought you weren't one to care about what other people thought was proper, what with your profound knowledge of everything, your passion for adventure, and the fact that you are alone with a man so late at night." He said the last bit was an overly licentious tone.

She sat up and hit him in the arm. "It's not like that and you know it."

Aladdin seemed hurt by not just her slap, but by her words, too. Belle couldn't figure out why. That, or she didn't want to admit to herself that maybe she _was_ in the company of a man who would have preferred there be romantic implications in their situation.

 _And maybe you just don't want to admit that_ you _want to be in the company of this particular man and want_ him _to want romantic implications to this situation_ , a small voice in her mind suggested. She shook that from her head.

"As I said before, there will not be any deceit on my part. I respect you and will treat you as such. However, I also want you to be comfortable and safe. So, I propose that you just lean back. You can rest upon me. My hands will stay at my side and will only touch you if our travels get bumpy," Aladdin suggested.

Belle was touched by how much he considered her wishes and how much he respected her desire to keep their arrangement proper—or as proper as was possible. He was a true gentleman, unlike so many she had met in her life.

She quietly nodded in acquiescence and leaned back into Aladdin's chest.

He was warm. His body felt solid and strong. She had no doubt in that moment that should anything go awry on their journey, that he _would_ protect her. Before she knew it, she had relaxed even more and rested her head back on his shoulder. It wasn't until she heard him say, "We're here," that she even realized she had fallen asleep in his protective care.


	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own any of these characters**

Chapter 11

"Welcome to the New World," Aladdin said.

Belle opened her eyes slowly. Wherever they were, it was bright and she wished to avoid blindness. As her pupils adjusted to the light, she quietly gasped. Reluctantly stepping up and away from the comfort of Aladdin, she walked off of Carpet and onto warm sand.

To her left and right stretched a long, white-sanded beach that curved until it eventually faded into tropical greenery creating a small quiet bay before her. The water was the purest aquamarine she had ever seen before in her life. The waves came in small swells, which probably contributed to the clarity of the water.

Though she surmised it was still early in the day, already this beach had reached very warm temperatures. Unlike Agrabah, where the dry heat could easily be tolerated, Belle felt that the oppressive air around her would make the sun hard to tolerate for much longer.

That didn't matter, though.

She had never set foot on a beach before.

She had never felt the sand between her toes or smelled the salt on the air.

She had never felt the occasional spray picked up from a cresting way caress her face.

Belle was in paradise.

Without so much as a second glance at Aladdin, she ran toward the water and didn't stop until the waves reached her knees. She knew she would have to eventually explain to Nadia how her pants and tunic had come into contact with saltwater, but that was only a minor thought running through her head.

She turned around in place, taking in the hills that gradually gave way to dense forests and palm trees until she caught sight of Aladdin.

He gave her a start; for a moment, she had honestly forgotten that she was not alone.

"Having fun?" he asked, still seated on Carpet lazily, stretching out the leg with his broken foot.

"Yes! This place, it's—it's—" For once in a very long time, Belle felt herself at a loss for words.

"Amazing?" Aladdin tentatively suggested as Carpet floated him toward her.

"Yes! It's beautiful."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. The small waves collapsing into themselves, the rustle of branches as the wind blew through them, the salt on the air; all of it conspired to fill her heart with joy.

Belle hadn't felt so simultaneously at peace and elated in quite some time. The only moment her mind could recollect that was even similar to this was Adam presenting her with the castle's library.

 _What joy at having the world at your fingertips, and it is all mine!_ she recalled thinking.

Before she could dwell too much on the past, she felt a breeze carry away the veil that had fallen to her shoulders. It floated off and away down the shoreline.

With a small cry, she tried to reach for it, but her feet had sunk deep into the sand keeping her briefly trapped in place. Speeding off on Carpet, Aladdin chased after the veil as it floated further down the beach. Carpet's tassels grazed the water, kicking up spray behind them. Their chase, however, was to no avail.

Belle waded toward him as he floated back to her, suddenly shame-faced with a dripping wet veil in his hands. She chuckled to herself, for he looked so much like a child who had broken a parent's prized possession.

"I'm sorry," he said downcast floating before her, now sitting with his legs gingerly crossed before him.

"Aladdin," Belle said taking both the veil and the hand that held it in hers. She was so filled with happiness, wonderment, and gratitude that she did not even think about the implications of such a gesture.

He looked down at her with both shock and surprise in his large brown eyes. "Yes?" he said quietly.

"Thank you," she responded with the deep sincerity in her voice and heart. Aladdin grinned in response and looked away sheepishly.

"This?" she continued. "This is wonderful. I have truly never been or seen anything like this in my life. Stories, words, and even pictures only provide a sparse reflection or depiction of what it is to stand in this great world and experience a place for your own, with your own eyes, ears, and nose."

At hearing her own words, Belle immediately wondered that if Adam could also hear her now, would he feel slighted by her comments. She knew the guilt must have flashed upon on her face, for Aladdin's smile faltered and he pulled his hand away, leaving just a dripping green veil in hers.

"But?" he continued for her, as he clearly expected her to make a caveat based on her change in manner.

Belle quickly changed her demeanor. _Adam would want me to be here and happy_ , she reminded herself.

"But nothing," she said smiling again. "This is wonderful. You do realize that the scales are now much too much in my favor. I will have to do something to balance them so we are even."

"Don't start with that," Aladdin said, as he floated back toward the beach waving his hand dismissively at her. Belle followed him to plead her case, but he stopped her in her tracks when he hopped off Carpet onto his good foot.

"This is the deal," he said facing her. Aladdin wasn't too much taller than Belle, but now it felt as though he towered over her. It didn't intimidate her either. Rather, as he stood before her now, Belle felt inclined to pull him closer so she could feel the warmth and comfort of being wrapped in his arms.

"Are you listening?" he said, snapping her out of her thoughts of warm embraces.

"Yes," she said with a little bite to it than she intended.

"You are doing me more good than I can ever repay. Yes, you are the reason I am temporarily unable to walk. However, I owe you. End of story."

"But—" she started to protest.

"Nope," Aladdin responded by putting a single finger on her lips.

 _I can't believe he just did that_ , she thought. _No man should ever touch a woman on her lips like that unless he were her husband_.

Of course, neither Belle nor Aladdin were people committed to or particularly concerned with following social norms; but still the gesture crossed a line that both were immediately aware of the moment Aladdin's finger landed on the young woman's lips.

Though she had spent the evening in very close proximity to him, wrapping her arms around his waist at a time and sitting between his legs, that seemed to be borne of necessity rather than volition. At least, that was what Belle was telling herself to excuse the typically prohibited proximity of the pair last night.

His finger on her lips, however. _That_ was borne of volition. _Don't think that_ , she chastised herself. Belle knew that the moment she started reading into Aladdin's gestures, or dwelling on the way his rough skin felt against her lips or how her heart beat faster when they were close to each other, that she would be indulging in thoughts and feelings she shouldn't indulge in—for a myriad of reasons.

 _Adam_ , she thought.

 _Aladdin's and my platonic work arrangement_ , she continued more practically.

 _Your heart_ , a small voice in her mind suggested.

"End of discussion," Aladdin said sternly when he pulled his finger away from her lips.

Belle felt a pang of disappointment as he walked away to lie down on a patch of shade beneath a palm tree in the sand.

She stood there, unsure how or where to sit. With the flood of thoughts and emotions wracking her brain and gut, she couldn't quite sort out whether she should lie down next to him or sit at a proper distance.

Aladdin at this point had already relaxed, closing his eyes and resting his head on his arms behind him.

"Where do you think we are?" he asked without opening his dark brown eyes.

"Hmm?" Belle replied.

"Guess where we are. I want to see how much you know about the world and if I managed to surprise you."

"Well, you definitely surprised me and I do know a lot about the world that aren't just about geography, so I don't know if your question is actually a good assessment of either of those things."

Aladdin opened his eyes, propping himself up on his elbows. He gave Belle a cocked eyebrow and a look of incredulity, as if to ask without words, "Really?"

Belle mockingly sighed and began to walk around to make observations.

"Well, it's very warm, which means we are close to the equator and/or in the Northern hemisphere. I would gather, based on the foliage that we are not any further north than the latitude Paris is on. You also said when we arrived here that we were in the New World and given that you said we were traveling toward the sun, I gather that we must be somewhere in the Americas."

Belle could see that Aladdin was impressed, but there was still an expectant look on his face. She cocked her eyebrow at him. "Is that close enough?" she inquired.

"Eh, I expected you to get closer, but I guess that's fine." he said falling back onto the arms folded under his head. He closed his eyes again.

Belle, however, turned around and began looking more closely at their surroundings. She knew she could figure their location with much more precision. She was intelligent and well read.

And she wanted him to know that.

"The palms here are tall. The trees and other plants are dense, which means there must be a lot of rainfall and a lot of sun. Since we are likely north of the equator, I do not believe we are in the rainforests of the southern Americas. That puts us in the northern Americas."

When Aladdin didn't move from his position of repose, she continued to study the tree line. She heard a bird call from above. She peered through the dense leaves. Though it was camouflaged by its bright green plumage, she could make out other distinct markings of blue and red.

" _Amazona vittata_ ," she muttered to herself.

"Nope, not the Amazon," Aladdin said sitting up with a smug and victorious look on his face. "Seems I have puzzled you!"

"No," Belle said, confidently sauntering over to him letting her light green tunic brush against her legs to exaggerate her swagger. "You have not. I did not say the Amazon. I said _Amazona vittata_. It's a bird."

She pointed above and Aladdin looked behind her.

"Seriously?" he turned back to her. "You know about birds, too?"

"Yes," she said with a confident grin, placing her hands on her hips. "So, I will now tell you that Mr. Amazona right there is endemic to only one place: Puerto Rico."

She stood there, waiting for his reply. She knew she was right, even if he didn't tell her so. _But it would still feel so sweet to hear him say it_ , she thought.

Not letting on his admiration for her skills of deduction, Aladdin shrugged his shoulders. "Eh. You got it," he said dismissively and slumped back down into his position of repose.

Belle let out a cheer and clapped her hands in delight. When Aladdin did not share in her celebration, she was disappointed.

"Are you not impressed, Aladdin?" she asked, slightly surprised that she would even care about soliciting his approval.

"Oh, I am," he said with still-closed eyes. "I'm just now preoccupied with figuring out a place to go next time that will actually stump you."

Belle felt both confused and excited.

"Next time?"

Aladdin quickly jumped to his good foot, hopped onto Carpet, and pulled Belle up with him.

"Next time," he said as they sped off into the air, leaving the beach far behind them.


	12. Chapter 12

**I do not own any of these characters**

A shortie, but a goodie. (I hope)

Chapter 12

"How long do we have to stay here?" the young woman said to her compatriots.

"Shut your mouth," said another with her face hidden under a maroon veil, revealing only her green eyes.

"Do you want someone to see us?" said the third member in their party. She, too, was masked by a veil, though hers was forest green. "Not only did you insist on wearing that color, but you also have to make noise?"

"It _is_ my color," the first hissed through her ochre veil.

"Shut up, both of you," whispered the one in maroon. "Look."

She pointed to the balcony they had been observing. They had hidden in a narrow alley across and a ways down the street from where they had been told _she_ had taken up residence. Peering their heads out from behind an alley wall, the triplets saw her.

"Belle," the maroon-clad one said.

"Are you sure that's her?" the loud mouth one replied.

"Yes. Look! Those brown eyes? That brunette mop on her head? That's got to be her," said sister wearing forest green.

"What is that?!" cried the other from beneath her ochre veil.

Her two sisters immediately pounced on her.

"It looks like a man floating on a carpet," said the green one while the one in red bound her sister's mouth with her veil.

"Let me look," she said gruffly after finishing her work. " _Mon Dieu_. That can't be."

"Really? You heard what they said about that castle. Figures she would find someone else who was _enchanted_. Wonder what his deal is?"

"Who?" came the muffled reply from their sister through her veil, trying to peek around them. It was too late, however, for her to catch a glimpse of the young man and women as they flew off into the night sky.

"Doesn't matter," said the woman in maroon. "Let's go."

* * *

The three pushed their way through a hanging piece of canvas that served as a door. Finding the first floor empty, they climbed the narrow staircase to his room. The door was already open, casting a yellow light into the pitch-black hallway.

"Claudette, Laurette, Paulette," he said as they entered.

The room was lit only by a few lamps. He was seated in a chair by the balcony, seemingly preoccupied in thought.

"Was she there?" he asked folding his scarred hands.

"Yes," Claudette responded. "She's there."

"Excellent," he said. "You can go now."

"That's it?" Laurette protested. "There's nothing else?"

"Nothing for now," he said tersely. "Go to bed. Get rest. And don't speak unless spoken to."

Laurette flushed at his comments but didn't say a word.

"Of course," Claudette said. She nodded at him and then led her sisters out of the room.

" _Mon chérie_ ," he said to himself once he was alone. "You thought you'd get away that easily."

He gingerly got up with his cane to walk over to the basin by the wall. He rested his cane against the worn chest of drawer, so he could dip both of his mauled hands into the bowl of water before him. Splashing water on his equally scarred face, he closed his eyes in appreciation of the respite from the heat the water brought. It trickled like rivers through the scars that marred his face, falling back into the basin below.

Standing there, he briefly considered the damage that had been done to his body, the months he spent recovering in anonymity.

He pushed those thoughts out of his head as he crawled into his modest bed.

"Oh, Belle. I'll have you. Make no mistake about that," murmured Gaston into the darkness.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"No, no," Belle said exasperatedly. "The number of units is written in this column here. These words here are, 'Unit Sold.'"

Aladdin nodded his head. Truly, though, he had no idea how to distinguish the column headings. At this point, he was just trying to memorize column placement rather than the words in their headings, as that was much easier than trying to distinguish nearly identical flourishes from one another.

Belle rubbed her forehead and remained silent for a moment. Aladdin was suddenly overcome with equal parts guilt and frustration. He knew Belle was trying her hardest to impart her knowledge upon him, but it just was not making sense. Trying to learn both numbers and letters at the same time was overloading his mind. At once, he was expected not only to know a set of characters that reflected numerical values but also strokes and markings that apparently created the words they spoke.

"Maybe we should take a break," he suggested tentatively, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yes, maybe," the brunette beauty beside him said in a huff as she walked out of the shop floor and down the rear hallway.

Aladdin stared at the books laid out on the table before him. At first, he thought they were making great progress when he learned numbers quickly. He remembered the soaring pride he felt when he was able to master basic numerals—especially because it seemed to please Belle so much that she had imparted her knowledge upon him.

They had even celebrated by taking the rest of the evening off and exploring Agrabah on Carpet's back.

That was a few weeks back. Since then, their days—and even some evenings—were spent studying.

 _No_ , Aladdin thought. _Studying is the wrong word_.

 _More like drilling_.

Every day and night, Belle tried to teach him a new lesson be it a new letter or mathematical function.

And every day and night, Aladdin felt like he was failing her.

He didn't want to let her down. She had given up most of her time in Agrabah to help a common man become literate. Though they made little progress, every morning she returned with renewed vigor and confidence that today would be the day they broke through.

And every morning that her shadow fell upon Mr. Alavi's door, Aladdin's heart skipped a beat.

He turned back to the swirling figures before him. He rubbed his eyes vigorously, hoping in vain that that would somehow help.

Aladdin sighed. It didn't work.

When Belle didn't return after a few minutes, he was curious if she had finally abandoned all hope and just decided to flee through the back gate. Aladdin gingerly hopped off his chair and grabbed the crutch beside him. Though his foot could finally bear weight, he didn't want to over-exert himself.

Or rather, he didn't want to over-exert Belle who chastised him every time she caught him without the crutches before the prescribed time for him to walk free of them. In addition to his intellectual development, this young woman seemed very preoccupied with his physical well-being.

Not that Aladdin was one to complain.

He enjoyed her attention, probably more than he should.

"Maybe that's why you're not learning, buddy," Genie once suggested when Belle was not around. "You're too focused on your teacher and not enough on your lesson," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Aladdin punched him in the arm in response, but did not protest the truth of his statements.

Belle was captivating. She was enigmatic. She was not pretentious, nor was she ashamed of her intellect. She seemed to enjoy Aladdin's company, and he enjoyed hers.

He often found himself studying her face instead of the letters before him, which he knew was not helpful to the pursuit at hand and likely contributed to his inability to process any of the information she had given to him.

But how could he focus on numbers and letters, with eyes like hers before him? How could he possibly be drawn away by figures on paper when he could instead admire _her_ figure?

Thankfully, she had not yet noticed that her pupil was distracted by her presence. Instead, she had concluded he was just a slow learner, which Aladdin thanked Allah she had not held against him.

She was so kind, too kind some—Genie—would say to tutor Aladdin as she did. But, every time the young worker protested their arrangement, she would silence him on the matter with clever rhetoric or arguments that he could not contest.

So, Aladdin eventually accepted things as they were and was thankful every day that she did not give up on him.

When he pushed away the curtain in the back of the shop to reveal the courtyard behind it, he saw Belle reclining in the shade on some crates that had yet to be unpacked. Her eyes were closed. Her hand rested delicately on her forehead and her pink lips were slightly parted. The heat had brought a flush to her cheeks, which had actually become slightly freckled from her time in the sun. She hated them, but Aladdin found them endearing.

He noticed the slow rise and fall of her breathing and realized that Belle had fallen asleep.

 _She must be exhausted from teaching me_ , he thought despondently. He hobbled over to her. Gingerly, he sat on a space on a crate next to her head so as not to wake her.

The young man tried not to stare at Belle for too long. He was already guilty of taking too many clandestine glances at her. He also didn't want to invade her moment alone with his roaming eyes. While some men would gladly take an opportunity to stare at a beautiful reclining woman who was completely unaware that she was being watched, Aladdin was not one to engage in such lascivious activities.

It's not that he wasn't sorely tempted to study Belle's features without fear of being caught. If he was going to successfully study anything today, he would gladly take that over numbers and figures.

But, he was a gentleman. Or, at least he was trying to be, especially after he met her. Belle brought something out of him that he could not explain. While he was still mischievous, adventurous, and somewhat of a rascal, meeting Belle had somewhat tempered his childish side into a more mature manner.

 _What changes can be brought on in only a few weeks_ , he thought to himself.

Only a few months ago his heart had been soundly broken by Jasmine. He was called a liar. He was cast out of the place he thought would be his home. He had been thrown into a job he was woefully underqualified for, which he still believed was Jasmine's way of exacting further revenge on him.

Yet, here he was. Aladdin, a man once smitten with a princess, falling for a foreign gentlewoman who, besides the qualities immediately observable in interactions with her, he actually knew little about.

 _That would be for another time_ , he concluded.

He rested his head on the wall behind him. The warmth of the stucco quickly radiated through the back of his head, lulling him, too, into a hazy space between sleep and wakefulness.

"Aladdin?" he heard her say in a quiet voice.

He slowly opened his eyes to see Belle laying on her stomach now and propped up on her elbows. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah. You?"

"Yes," she said looking away, as if she were ashamed. "I'm sorry for walking out on you," she said quietly.

He gently put his finger under her chin and turned her face to look at him.

"I don't blame you," he said with a smile. "I'm difficult to teach, I know. I promise I'm doing my best, but maybe—." His smile began to fade. "Maybe that's not enough."

Belle gently took the hand that was supporting her chin and gave it a squeeze. "You are not my most difficult pupil, believe me. If I can teach him, I can teach you."

"Who?" Aladdin asked with a sudden curiosity and jealousy over this other "him."

"Well—," Belle began to say before they both heard someone from within the shop call out.

"I guess that's a story for another time," Aladdin said with a grimace. Standing up with the help of his crutch, he offered his hand to Belle who took it graciously.

They both walked into the shop to see a small, dainty figure shrouded in a heavy burlap cloak.

"Can I help you?" Aladdin asked in his most cheerful voice.

" _Can_ you?" the familiar voice responded from under the hood, which still kept her face in shadow.

Aladdin's stomach dropped. He turned to Belle with what he was certain was a sheer look of terror based on her concerned expression in response.

"I see you've already found someone else to exploit with your deceit, street rat," the figure said, hissing those last two words.

"Jasmine," Aladdin said as if it were an accusation.

She pulled back the hood of her cloak to reveal her still beautiful face: almond-shaped brown eyes set beneath perfectly sculpted dark eyebrows; a delicate nose with an ideal arch; jet black hair pulled back into an intricate knot on top of her head.

Though she wore a burlap cloak—the same disguise she wore when Aladdin first laid eyes on her—there was no hiding the finery that she attempted to conceal below, with the hints of gold and other fine materials peaking through her outer garb.

"You should have known, Aladdin, that I would not stand to let you harm another woman as you did me."

Aladdin looked back and forth between Belle, who seemed both confused and alarmed, and Jasmine, whose eyes had a pure look of wrath within them.

"I didn't harm you, Jasmine," Aladdin said.

"Didn't harm me?" she spat back. "Didn't harm me!"

Jasmine seemed to notice the protective stance her former love had taken in front of the woman behind him.

"Does she know?" Jasmine continued, folding her arms in front of her thereby revealing a multitude of gold bangles.

"You do not have to speak to me through him," Belle said stepping out from behind Aladdin. "I speak for myself."

"Ah, a foreigner," Jasmine said, still directing her comments at Aladdin. "I guess that's the only way you could get anyone to take pity on you. You had to go outside the city to find friends. How pathetic. But, what else is to be expected of a street rat?"

"Don't call me that," Aladdin said heatedly, throwing a quick glance at Belle to see how she reacted to the scene unfolding before her.

"Isn't that what you are?" Jasmine continued, casually picking up and placing down pieces of fabric as she prowled around the shop floor. "Don't you remember how you were before you found Genie? You were nothing. You were nothing before him. You were nothing before me."

Aladdin's face began to flush. Sweat collected on his upper lip.

He had heard this speech before. When Jasmine had rejected him, he had heard a variant of it. When he left the palace, yet another version of it. When he relocated into his home, she was there again reminding him that he was worthless.

 _Hell hath no fury…_ he thought to himself without consolation.

"When Mr. Alavi told my father that you were doing so well in the shop despite your injury, I had to see for myself. Surely this couldn't be the same man who couldn't get a job on his own he was speaking of, for he told us of how well you had managed the accounts here at the store. The Aladdin I knew, or rather the Aladdin I thought I knew, certainly could not read or write. How is it that he acquired such a skill?

"I had to be sure you weren't deceiving someone else, again, Aladdin," she said, suddenly taking on a demure and innocent façade. "After all, what kind of person would _I_ be if I were to allow someone else to be taken in by your deceit? So, I came down here to ensure that no one would be fooled by you again.

"So, little miss," Jasmine said, finally acknowledging Belle directly, "know this: Aladdin is nothing but a liar and a cheat. He is nothing but a pathetic low life. He is a street rat, was a street rat, will always be a street rat."

"No."

Aladdin turned to Belle, who had responded before he could. And who was now shaking in visible rage.

"What did you say to me?" Jasmine retorted, clearly shocked that anyone would deny her.

"Belle—" Aladdin began to say before she stepped in front of him.

"No," Belle repeated.

"Do you know who I am?" the raven-haired princess said to her.

"Seriously, Belle, do you know who she is?" Aladdin whispered out of the side of his mouth.

"Do you know who _I_ am?" Belle retorted ignoring the young man's comments.

The two women stood there in a silent standoff.

"Enlighten me," Jasmine finally responded haughtily, placing her hands on her ample hips.

"I am no daughter of a sultan, Princess Jasmine, but I, too, am what you might call royalty. And while I know who _you_ are, you clearly don't know who _I_ am," Belle said in response to her look of surprise. "So allow me to elaborate further. I am not an idiot. I know who you are. But more importantly, I know who Aladdin is. Now, it seems to me that for some reason you were not astute enough to gather the nature of his true character when you met him. I understand that not all women are born with faculties of deduction, and for that I pity you."

Jasmine began to interrupt her, but Belle would not be stopped. "I, on the other hand, could clearly deduce who Aladdin was the moment I met him."

Belle looked back at Aladdin, who at this point was fearful of what the young woman who was apparently royalty might say about him. He briefly prayed she wouldn't reveal anything about his tutelage. He also briefly prayed that Jasmine just disappear into thin air, never to be heard from again.

 _I really should have saved those wishes_ , he thought to himself.

"I knew," Belle continued, "that Aladdin was brave. He was kind. He was mischievous. He was caring. He was hospitable. He was respectable. He was honorable. He was daring. He was a gentleman in the true sense of the word, regardless of whatever title society bestowed upon him. So while you may have been more concerned with whatever falsehoods he told you or maybe you were just too blind to see that beyond whatever those falsehoods were, he is still a good person, then maybe, just maybe, Aladdin isn't to blame. Maybe, Princess, you should consider taking a longer look in the mirror than you already do and contemplate whether it is _you_ who is to blame for your own failure to see the truth about Aladdin: He is a good person."

If anyone were to walk into the shop at that time, they would have been able to hear a pin drop. The air hung heavy with silence as the two women remained in a standoff of locked eyes and stern faces.

Aladdin knew Belle was not going to break. After all, this was a woman who had indefatigably tutored him for weeks. Indeed, he was right.

Jasmine's demeanor quickly changed from stern fortitude to haughty dismissal in the blink of an eye. She soon found her finger nails much more interesting than the two people standing before her.

"Well, is that so, little princess?" she said condescendingly to Belle. "Alas, I did my best to warn you of this man's history. Don't blame me if he only disappoints you."

"The only thing that will disappoint me, Your Majesty, is if you stay any longer," Belle retorted.

 _SLAP!_

In a few quick strides, Jasmine had crossed the floor and swung her hand across Belle's face. Aladdin remained glued in place by the shock of what had transpired before him.

The fair woman before him slowly turned back to face her assailant, suddenly calm in her voice and demeanor.

"Is there anything else you need from us today, Your Highness?" Belle said calmly.

Jasmine huffed and fumed. She expected a brawl, but when she realized she was outmatched in both wits and moral fiber, she also suddenly collected herself. "No, thank you," she said with a cloyingly false sincerity.

She turned to walk out of the shop, pulling the hood of her cloak back over her head. "Know this," she said, turning her almond eyes back at Aladdin once more. "I will be keeping an eye on you."

Aladdin quickly turned to Belle once Jasmine had left the shop, pulling her close to him so he could examine her cheek. He didn't care what proper decorum dictated for their proximity.

"Are you okay?" he said as he looked over her face, which had begun to lightly bruise.

"I'm fine," she murmured, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Belle," he said as he searched out her eyes. "Look at me, please."

She eventually looked up at him with a pained expression. "Am I wrong?" she whispered.

"What?" he said, gently resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Am I wrong to trust you?"

Aladdin sighed. "According to some, you are. I thought, though, based on your words you might have thought otherwise. I guess I was wrong."

He hobbled away from her. It seemed that Belle's impassioned words regarding his character were nothing more than that: words. Maybe Jasmine had achieved her ends of revenge after all. Maybe Belle had joined all the others who considered him unworthy of positive regard.

Before he could sit down, however, he felt a hand grab his.

He looked back.

Though Belle's tiny, fair hand had grasped onto his, she still looked away as if she was uncertain of what to say—a rare occurrence, Aladdin was sure.

"Aladdin?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, Belle," he said as he closed the distance he had created between them.

"I need you to tell me everything. I need you to tell me what happened. I believe you are good. That was not a lie meant to gain the upper hand over that awful woman. But, I need to know who you are beyond that. I need to know why someone would say things about you that I don't believe to be true.

"But, more importantly, I _want_ to know you."

Aladdin contemplated the risks of telling Belle the whole truth. It didn't work out very well for him the last time he bared his soul to another. What if he was just destined for another catastrophic rejection? Was that worth the risk of losing one of his few friends in this city, in the world?

"I will tell you everything," he said.

The young woman before him cautiously smiled, squeezing his hand in hers.

"But," he continued, which elicited a concerned look from Belle, "I want to know all about you, too."

She seemed, too, to be weighing pros and cons of revealing personal information to a man who, while she had spent much time in his company, knew very little of her past. Aladdin was worried that maybe he was asking too much. She did, after all, just take a hit to the face on his behalf. Maybe that was enough to ask of this poor young woman for one day.

But Belle, being the ever-obliging woman that she was, simply responded, "Alright."


	14. Chapter 14

*Apologies for taking a long time to post. I recently had my own fairy tale come true and got married, so I have not had much time to write. I hope this chapter offers a little bit more forward progress than others.

I do not own any of these characters.*

Chapter 14

"Start from the beginning," Belle said gently, her soft face framed by a sheer royal blue veil that covered her thick brunette hair.

"We'll be here for a while," Aladdin responded in an attempt to dissuade her from inquiring too much into his life. He had learned his lesson: Hiding things will do you no good. But, he knew that his life story was long, complicated, and somewhat tragic. Would she want to know about his family or lack thereof? What about the nights when he worried he would not see the dawn? Would she find his life as a thief intriguing or repulsive?

"We have all day," she retorted, leaning back to sip on the cool drink in her hands.

"That's true," he said as he also leaned back into his cushioned chair.

They had decided to leave this conversation until Aladdin's next day off from the shop. Though initially uncertain about whether meeting at his home would be a good idea, as it was one of the few other locations Jasmine could surprise him at, he acquiesced to the young woman's request to meet there.

He actually had a modest courtyard and patio, the latter of which benefitted from the shade of a pergola covered in leafy vines. The pair was seated across from each other in a couple of lounge chairs decorated with brightly colored cushions. Only a low-set wooden table, their cold drinks, and a plate of dates separated them. It was in this idyllic and quiet setting that Aladdin and Belle found themselves in a conversation only one of them was truly eager to have.

"Aladdin," Belle probed when he didn't continue. "I won't force you to tell me anything. If you don't want to share your life with me—"

She caught her words before a visible flush crept up her neck to her cheeks.

"If you don't want to share your life _story_ with me," she continued, "you don't have to. You won't lose my friendship or my tutelage. You may, however, lose some of my trust."

Aladdin immediately felt his stomach crumple in on itself, creating a heavy mass that would not dissipate.

"I'm worried," he said quietly under his breath.

"About what?" she said exasperatedly, clearly tiring of his reticence.

The young man looked away from her. He couldn't bear Belle's sincere—yet annoyed—gaze for much longer. It made it too difficult not to agree to anything she asked of him.

Not that it was her beauty that compelled him to disclose his past.

No.

Aladdin genuinely felt that he and Belle had become friends. Working side-by-side brought them closer together and though he didn't know much about her life before she literally ran into his, he believed he knew her character through and through. She was thoughtful, kind, and genuine. She was helpful and patient, though sometimes begrudgingly so.

Nothing he could discover about her would change what he already knew.

 _But what if she doesn't feel the same way about me?_

"I'm worried that you will not like what you hear about me," he said as he picked at a loose thread on his cream colored linen trousers.

Belle let out another sigh, as she rubbed her forehead. "What makes you think that? A princess told me that you were a low-life and a street rat, and yet I am still here.

"I can't promise you that I will understand _everything_ that brought on her wrath," she continued when Aladdin looked at her with hope in his eyes. "But I will try."

Aladdin felt mild dejection again at her words. _This is the emotional equivalent of a ride on Carpet,_ he thought. He swirled the contents of his glass while he contemplated his response.

Belle must have moved very quietly, because when Aladdin looked up, she had gone from her chair across the table to the one seated next to him.

"Gah!" he said in surprise, nearly spilling his drink. "How are you so quiet?"

She just smiled and rested her hand on his arm.

"Aladdin, you can trust me," she said with her large brown eyes boring into his, or so it felt from his perspective. "If it's any indication of how low my threshold is for trusting someone, I married a man who kidnapped my father."

"What?" the young man spat out as he put down his glass for emphasis.

"Another story, another time," she said dismissively. "It's your turn now. You promised me. Please."

Her last word hit him like a ton of bricks. He couldn't say no. He owed her this much. And after this revelation, he thought his chances with her were a little bit better. _After all,_ I _haven't kidnapped anyone._

* * *

Belle learned everything she thought she ever could about the young man sitting near her. She listened as he told her about losing his father and eventually his mother at a young age. He had grown up essentially an orphan, she discovered, and, like so many children reared in the streets, Aladdin relied largely on his own cunning when the rare charity from others failed to sustain him.

Of course, this led to a life of petty crime, he admitted to her rather ashamedly.

"Aladdin," she said gently, "you do not need to be ashamed or feel guilty."

"I don't?" he asked, the flush in his cheeks receding.

"No," she said chuckling reassuringly. "My wrongs may be minimal, but I am not so virtuous to pretend that I don't understand that necessity sometimes leads us to do things we would not otherwise do."

"Yeah, right," Aladdin laughed. "You are as close to perfect as possible."

Belle was taken aback by his flattery, which the young man seemed to notice.

"I mean—you're just so good at everything and, um, moral. I can't see you doing anything wrong."

"Well, Mr. Alavi thinks that I'm just in the shop to serve you and not teach you, so there's that," she replied proudly.

 _I probably shouldn't be so proud of lying,_ she mused to herself.

"Fair enough," Aladdin replied with his hands raised.

He returned to his story, as Belle listened raptly. She only occasionally prodded with questions as he detailed his childhood years and eventually developing into a young man without the guidance of any father or father figure to help him. At some point, Abu came into the story though Belle couldn't quite remember when his faithful companion entered his life. It was as if the little creature was always there in her mind's eye as she recreated the stories there.

Eventually that awful woman entered the story. Though, it didn't seem like she was so awful from Aladdin's retelling. In fact, Belle noticed that Aladdin seemed to recall her with a bitter fondness from the tone in his voice. It enflamed in her a jealousy that she didn't know existed and one that she didn't care to dwell on, for fear it would incite feelings of guilt over what she was sure were growing feelings for this enigmatic young man.

"I first saw her in the marketplace, stealing an apple for a young boy. She wasn't so hardened then. I think you would have liked her, too. Jasmine had a spirit and what was once a kind heart."

Belle only raised an eyebrow and sipped her drink.

Aladdin continued, "I didn't know she was the princess at the time. It took getting chased by the palace guards for her to reveal herself."

"Wait," Belle interrupted. "She didn't tell you who she was at first?"

"No," the young man said slowly, clearly uncertain of the point she was trying to make.

"I apologize, but I just find it a little ironic that she would reject you for being dishonest when she was dishonest with you from the beginning."

Aladdin sat back into his cushions with a thump. The sun was beginning its slow descent into the west from its midday position, starting to cast shadows on the patio and courtyard behind his home. Belle stared out at the scenery while Aladdin clearly mulled this over.

"I had never thought of it like that," he said quietly. "But you're right."

"You sound sad or disappointed," she mused, trying to hide her concern that maybe she had rekindled some longing in him for another woman.

 _Not that I should_ be _concerned._

"I'm not," he said. "Actually, I'm just surprised that I don't care.

"I mean," he continued, clearly responding to the look on her face, "that would have given me the motivation to go back to her in the past. Knowing that she, too, did what she was so angry with me for? That would have maybe been enough to give me hope to persuade her to see otherwise. But now? Now, I don't even want her back."

Belle tried to hide her pleasure at hearing this. She found herself struggling greatly with the feelings she had developed for Aladdin and the bitter shame they conjured whenever she acknowledged them.

"Are you okay?" Aladdin said concernedly, resting his hand on her arm.

"Yes, I'm fine." Apparently he had noticed the guilt on her face. "Please, continue."

The young lady heard more stories: The Cave of Wonders, meeting Genie, and the great ruse to win Jasmine's heart.

"You're honestly one of few people who doesn't riddle me with questions about all of that—even the whole Prince Ali parade I had," Aladdin said through his laughter over the memories.

Belle was chuckling as she lounged in her chair, appreciating the cool afternoon breeze that was caressing her face. She was at such peace hearing how Aladdin's life had been touched by magic, too.

"Well, our villagers threatened to throw my father into an insane asylum for claiming he saw a beast in the nearby castle. I wouldn't dare question others or doubt those who claim to encounter the unbelievable."

"A beast? Why is that so hard to believe? Is a beast not just an animal?" Aladdin was clearly confused and Belle wondered if something had been lost in translation.

"It wasn't so much that he was a beast or an animal. He was unlike any animal we had ever seen, standing taller than any man and covered in fur. He had horns and fangs. He was terrifying to behold, but he could be gentle, too. He spoke as a human did. He was equal parts beast and man. That terrified our villagers."

"This is the man you loved, isn't it?"

Apparently Aladdin was more perceptive than Belle would have imagined. He must have noticed how she had receded into her memories as she talked about Adam. Belle knew she could get that faraway look in her eyes. It was the same one she had whenever she told someone of a new book she had finished or an invention her father had created.

She couldn't help but escaping from the present whenever she talked about him.

"Yes," she said.

"Well, I guess if you, princess,"—Belle chuckled whenever he called her that, which was with great frequency now—"can love a beast, you must think I'm very terrible if Jasmine can't love me."

"What went wrong?" Belle inquired, eager to focus the conversation back on Aladdin.

"I don't know," he said. Aladdin had lit a fire in a pit near the table so they could continue their conversation into the evening. The flames reflected in his dark brown eyes as he looked away, attempting to come up with a reason for why Jasmine rejected him.

"I can understand her anger," Belle tentatively said. "I remember wondering why Adam never told me who he was and how disappointed I had been that he didn't think he could confide in me. I had figured some things out, but it was still disappointing to know that Adam kept it from me."

"Adam?" Aladdin asked, turning so the fire only illuminated one half of his tanned face.

"Yes, he was, um," Belle struggled to find the words.

"Another story, another time?" the young man kindly offered.

"Yes," she responded, grateful that he sensed her discomfort.

"Well, I guess Jasmine was very disappointed in me," Aladdin continued, his tone hinting at morose. "I lied to her and she felt she couldn't trust me. I had thought that by saving her and her father's lives, I had made up for what I had done. "Maybe I had made up for what I had done," he continued after a long pause. Belle could tell he was contemplating something, so she didn't want to interrupt. "She did say that she was grateful and maybe that's all I deserve."

"You deserved better," Belle said.

"No, I didn't," he replied despondently. "I lied to her. Yes, I saved her but that was only through magic. It was only because I had Carpet and Genie on my side that I could save her. I don't even deserve her gratitude."

"Aladdin," Belle said, imploring him. "Do not allow her to belittle you. Your deceit should have been forgiven one hundred fold for everything you did to save that woman. Were it not for you, she and her father would have been taken captive by that horrible Jafar. If she cannot see that you gave her great gifts—those of freedom and life, for you saved her corporeally and in spirit by revealing to her father that she was capable of leading her own way—then she does not deserve _you_."

Belle had leaned in close to make her point, landing her finger on Aladdin's hard chest.

She let it linger there. She felt an indescribable instinctive desire to run her finger down his chest. It was a highly inappropriate desire for a woman of her standing and her character.

 _I could never be so bold_ , she thought with a blush.

Belle began to draw her finger away, when she realized Aladdin was staring back at her expectantly with dark eyes filled with an emotion she could not pin down.

Before she could move too far away, though, he grabbed her finger. Gently, he tugged her forward to the point where Belle was only barely perched on her seat.

"Thank you," he whispered to her.

Belle's eyes were trained on his as he scanned her face. He gently ran a hand over her hair, which had been exposed after her veil fell earlier in the day and she had not cared to put it back in place.

Her heart began to pound wildly as Aladdin closed the distance between them. Each inch that he covered he did so painfully slowly, as if to ensure that if Belle had any reservations, she could voice them to stop him. Belle, however, did not want him to stop. She wanted him close. She wanted to feel his lips on hers, a desire that she had not been willing to admit to herself until just now when it seemed so close to being a reality.

Just when she began to close her eyes in hopes that it would make the anticipation more bearable, a crash from the alley behind his home separated them with a start.

"I'm sorry," she murmured as she quickly shot up.

"No need," Aladdin said. "Could you see what that was?"

She crossed the courtyard quickly, while Aladdin stood perched on his good foot.

Belle couldn't see anything or anyone when she opened the door that secured the courtyard from the alley.

"Nothing," she said turning around to Aladdin.

She considered the man who she had almost made herself vulnerable to. He looked crestfallen. Belle wondered if that was because they had been interrupted. She shook her head. She couldn't dwell on that for too long. She had to keep their relationship platonic if she wanted to keep working with him. Crossing that line would compromise her ability to help him.

Furthermore, she wasn't sure she was ready to give her heart to anyone yet. _Or maybe I am and that's why I'm worried_ , she quietly said to herself.

"Everything okay?" Aladdin said as she came back to their table.

"Yes," she murmured. "I probably should go home."

He just nodded in response. Belle gathered by his quiet demeanor that he, too, was not ready to cross that line either.

She mounted Carpet carefully after Aladdin called him, as it was late and Aladdin was not mobile enough to walk her home himself.

"Thank you," she said after he helped her aboard the flying textile.

Once again, they were closer than she would have probably liked—or maybe closer than she would admit that she liked.

"Goodnight," she said, hoping that would prompt him to let her hand go. Instead, he leaned down and kissed her pale fingers.

"Goodnight," he murmured, which she barely heard over her pounding heart.

 _That was close_ , she thought as she flew away over the roofs of Agrabah.

* * *

"That was close," Claudette murmured to her sisters as they saw Belle take off on that enchanted carpet.

"Which of you idiots knocked that over?" she continued.

They pointed at each other.

Claudette just shook her head. "Come on. We have to get back to Gaston. He's going to want to know about Belle's new love."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"My dear friend, I've been feeling neglected," Louise said to Belle over dinner one night.

"What do you mean?" Belle responded feigning naiveté.

"Every day you go out. For weeks I've hardly seen you!"

Belle sighed. She had been out of the house every day since she met Aladdin. At first, Louise seemed content with Belle coming and going as she pleased. It felt like they had come to an implicit arrangement that suited them both. Belle would go out; Louise would stay in. They'd spend time together in the evenings.

This arrangement seemed to displease her compatriot, now, however.

"I know that staying indoors is not your up of tea, but I had really hoped this trip of ours would be a chance to spend more time together. Since Adam—"

"Louise," Belle interrupted gently. "I didn't realize how much time away bothered you."

She felt pangs of guilt as her friend looked at her imploringly. Belle was not one to put her own needs before someone else's or neglect someone she cared about. The suggestion that Louise might actually feel abandoned rather than just engaging in the typical dramatics of ladies of her station made Belle sick.

"Would you prefer I spend more time in the house?" Belle offered.

Louise grasped her hand. "My dear, I would love that! I have found many places within our confines that would actually be comfortable in this heat!"

Belle smiled back but couldn't apparently mask the disappointment that shrouded her face.

"I expected a little more enthusiasm," said Louise playfully. "After all, helping some poor child must be tiring all this time."

Belle pursed her lips. When she told Louise about how she spent her days, she let her friend believe that she was educating a young boy instead of a man. It wasn't that Belle intended to deceive Louise; rather, she acknowledged the convenience of her friend not knowing exactly what she was doing. After all, Louise would be scandalized by Belle being around a man unsupervised and she would definitely pepper her with questions she wasn't ready to answer.

"It isn't tiring. In fact, I quite enjoy it," Belle said.

"Well, you were always more charitable than I was," Louise said ignoring the smile that had crept onto her friend's face. "What shall we do today?"

"Today?" Belle responded, perplexed.

"Yes, today. What? Do you need to visit your pupil?"

"Well, I don't want to abandon him without notice."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Louise said with a dismissive wave. "After all, you won't be here forever." Lounging on her sofa with her honey blonde hair in a perfect coif and face still perfectly painted on in spite of the sweltering heat, Louise looked the picture of elite sophistication. She would easily fit in with the ladies who spent their days drinking tea and eating at luncheons or in salons discussing gossip. In fact, Belle met her at one such salon. Louise was the only woman who had actually read the book that had Belle enraptured at the time. Since then, though the two had their differences, Louise remained a loyal and true friend to Belle.

In spite of that loyalty and friendship, Belle still felt torn between her two friends.

 _Friends_ , she pondered. That word felt funny to her as a description for what Aladdin was to her. Yes, they were friends but there was something there. Something that had grown over the weeks of her instruction and visits. She often felt they were dancing right on the edge between friendship and something else. But neither of them seemed ready for that leap. Belle certainly was being held back by something she didn't care to dive into and she believed Aladdin's wounds from Jasmine had healed too recently.

Though she believed he had healed somewhat during their heart-to-heart that night, Belle couldn't be sure that Aladdin's scars wouldn't keep him from something else.

Quite frankly, the thought of Jasmine keeping Aladdin from pursuing happiness elsewhere made her seethe. She was sure it was the reason that on their walks at the end of the day, which had become more frequent since Aladdin's foot healed, he would quickly recoil when their hands touched. And she believed it was the reason that he always kept a healthy distance between them. Certainly, the culture in Agrabah would have forbidden such open displays of affection. But in the shop, where there were no prodding eyes, he still kept Belle at an arm's length when he could.

Though Belle had her own demons to contend with, she did not relish the thought of her friend avoiding her because of that wretched woman.

She shook her head. While those thoughts had grown more frequent, she had to let them go. After all, she couldn't stay in Agrabah forever. She couldn't even be the woman who could help Aladdin break the hold that Jasmine had over him. This conversation with Louise reminded her of that too well.

 _Maybe this break will be good_ , she thought as she pondered whether Aladdin would be upset at the new arrangement they would have to have. _He needs to get used to what it will be like when I'm gone_.

Her chest swelled at the thought—and not in the way it could swell when she caught him staring at her during the work hours or when he would casually praise her. No, this was the painful swelling that is brought about when something will be lost and all you can do is stand by and let it happen. It was a pain Belle was all too familiar with.

"Well, will you at least permit me to write him a letter?"

"Can he even read?" Louise asked incredulously, rising to get her stationary.

"If I'm any good as a tutor, yes," she replied with a half-hearted laugh.

"Here you go," Louise said handing her paper and a pen. "And make it quick. We have some relaxing to do!"

* * *

"It says…" Aladdin peered at the letter begging it to make sense. Genie was just waiting patiently as he happily stared at his perplexed friend.

"Do you want me to read it?"

Aladdin slapped at his blue hand as he reached for it. "No, I'll figure this out. Maybe it's a test! Okay. It says, 'Dear Aladdin.'"

"She called you dear! Ow, ow!" Genie hollered playfully.

Aladdin just stared daggers at him.

"Continue, little buddy."

"It then says, 'I will not be…I will not be able to visit. I'm sorry.'"

He let the letter fall to the table. Genie quickly picked it up, scouring it for more information while Aladdin walked back to sit behind the counter. _Why?_ _Why would she just not show up?_

"Hey, cheer up, Al," Genie said with a gentle nudge. "Maybe there's an explanation or something."

"Like what?" he said aggressively. He quickly regretted his tone when he saw the look on his friend's face. "I'm sorry, Genie. I just—I just don't get it."

"Any number of things could have happened."

"You don't think she's hurt, do you?" he said suddenly jumping up, knocking his chair to the floor.

Genie quickly cautioned him. "No, I'm sure she's fine. Things happen. Non-nefarious, non-magical, non-vizier related things."

Aladdin calmed down, but when he heard a sudden pop and was left alone in the shop he was filled with a new source of dread. Genie had cleared out as he always did when customers were afoot. As soon as the blue smoke that still lingered in his wake cleared, Aladdin came face-to-face with an elderly man.

"My good man, would you care to tell me the price on that bolt of fabric above you?" he pointed to a piece of raw maroon silk.

"Um, yes, I think I can," Aladdin said hurriedly getting the books out.

"You think you can?" the customer replied incredulously.

"No, I know—I know I can, sir," he said.

Sweat was starting to bead on his face. Belle had always been around when he had done this in the past. She would give him hints when he got stuck or interrupt pretending to be a customer to give him some time. Now, he was alone. Even Genie couldn't help him out of this.

"Son, I'm growing impatient," the older man said tapping his fingers on the counter. "Do you know the price or don't you?"

"I do. Just give me a moment."

Some of the words he could easily decipher. He even knew which columns meant what. But he could not find the word for silk. Or rather, he couldn't recognize it amid the flourishes that only on occasion coalesced into something legible.

"Boy, are you dumb?" the man said striking Aladdin across the head.

"What is going on here?!" Mr. Alavi shouted as the door closed behind him.

"Your boy here, Alavi, doesn't seem to know what he's doing!"

"Omar, I am so very sorry. He must not be in his right mind," Mr. Alavi said, with his last few words through gritted teeth. "Please take whatever you want, on us."

After Mr. Alavi finished the transaction, he slowly turned to face Aladdin. "You know, I took a chance on you. I took a chance on the man that tried to beguile the princess with magic and jinn."

"It was just one."

"Excuse me?"

"It wasn't jinn. It was Genie."

"Are you making a joke?" Mr. Alavi said, slamming his hands on the countertop in front of him. "Do you think I don't know what you do when I'm not here? That blue thing is around masquerading as a man! But that's not even the worse offense. I know that woman has been here every day. What? You didn't think my customers would tell me?"

Aladdin's face must have betrayed his shock.

"She is a beautiful, wealthy foreigner. Do you think she wouldn't attract attention? No. You didn't. Because you were obviously too preoccupied attracting hers."

"Mr. Alavi, please, let me explain. She was here to help tutor me, not to distract me."

"You think that makes things better?! Now you're not only admitting to me that she _was_ here, but that she was here to tutor you? What is wrong with you?"

Aladdin just stared down at the ground. He had been belittled before. He had been cast aside by the wealthy and privileged. But never had he felt so low as he did now. Again, he felt the guilt of betrayal. He knew he had misled Mr. Alavi. It wasn't fair for him to keep up this charade and take advantage of his good nature.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Alavi. I didn't mean to betray your trust. I just wanted to do a good job. I promise, I was not distracted by her."

"Well, if that were the case, Aladdin, you probably would've known where to find raw silk in this ledger by now," he said resignedly. Mr. Alavi ran his hands through his graying black hair. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Whatever you feel is fair," Aladdin replied with resolve. He knew begging wouldn't do him any good. Whatever punishment he was given, he deserved.

Mr. Alavi considered him for a while before letting out a sigh.

"My good man, do you know I was like you once? I was poor. I didn't have an education. My mother died when I was young and my father struggled to keep us afloat. When we were old enough to work, we worked. I was industrious and creative. I not only cared for my family through my work, but I passed on all the knowledge I had taught myself so my siblings could hope for something better than our lot. When times became difficult or my father was injured or sick, I would keep the family afloat myself—sometimes through nefarious means," he said with a wink.

"It's because of that that I let you work here. Yes, the Sultan is a good friend, but I wouldn't have done it if I didn't see a bit of myself in you."

Mr. Alavi rested a hand on Aladdin's shoulder.

"But make no mistake. My fondness for you will not outweigh my desire to leave behind enough for my daughters and their children. I don't care how you do it, but learn how to do this job on your own or there won't be a job for you to have. Are we understood?"

"Yes, sir," Aladdin said as enthusiastically as he could muster.

"Great," Mr. Alavi said heading out the door. "Oh, and Aladdin?"

"Yes, Mr. Alavi?"

"I found in my own experience that doing things on one's own is the best way to learn. Just like you let go of your crutch when you didn't need it anymore, you should let go of your tutors so you can learn to stand on your own."

Aladdin remained silent as he walked out the door.

He stayed that way until Genie re-emerged.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes, or at least I think it will be," Aladdin muttered as he put the books back in their proper place. "I just hope Belle's okay."

"Yeah, about that," Genie said awkwardly rubbing his neck.

"What? Did you see her?"

"I took it upon myself to check in on her."

"And?" Aladdin asked eagerly crossing the room toward his friend.

"She's perfectly fine. She's with her friend. The lazy one."

"Is her friend sick?" he probed, concerned again.

"Yeah, they're both fine. I don't get it, Little Buddy. Did you do something?" Genie said gently when he saw Aladdin sink back against the counter.

"No," Aladdin said suddenly feeling heartbroken. "I didn't do anything. Everything was fine. She just—she just left me out here on my own."

Genie didn't protest, which just confirmed Aladdin's suspicions were right.

"Well, Mr. Alavi is probably right. I need to do this on my own. I can't rely on her or anyone," he said as anger began to enflame his cheeks.

"Ouch."

"You know what I mean," Aladdin said exasperatedly.

"I do, Al. Just, just be sure that this doesn't make you bitter toward Belle. She cares about you. Sometimes things happen."

"Yeah, whatever," Aladdin said dismissively.

"Yeah, whatever," Genie said with a pop out of the room. He had seen Aladdin's anger get the better of him before. He didn't want to be there for the fallout.

* * *

Belle walked into Mr. Alavi's shop with a big smile. Though she enjoyed her time with Louise, she was excited to see Aladdin again. Even one day felt like too long a time away from him.

"Aladdin?" she yelled out when she saw the empty show room.

"Back here," a distant call came out.

Belle made her way to the rear of the shop, where Aladdin was concentrating on taking inventory of a new shipment. Unfamiliar men were unloading boxes as Aladdin ticked something off in a small notebook.

She came up behind him conspiratorially whispering, "Do you know what you're doing?"

His stony face made the smile from hers disappear when he turned to face her. "Aladdin, is something wrong?"

"No, Belle, everything is fine."

"Oh, okay. Well, do you need my help with anything?" she said, whispering the last phrase so the workers didn't hear her.

Aladdin shook his head and walked back into the store.

Belle stood there dumbfounded and hurt for a moment before following him in. "Did I miss something?"

"Yeah, you did. You missed all of the workday yesterday. And now you walk in here as if that didn't happen."

"I sent a note," she said. Belle was becoming concerned at Aladdin's irate mood. "I thought you would be okay."

"Well, if you thought I would be okay, why are you here? Huh? Which is it, Belle? Am I helpless without you? Or can I handle things on my own?"

"Do not take that tone with me if you won't tell me why you're upset." Belle's initial hurt was now fermenting into quiet rage. She would not take this, no matter how much she cared for him.

"Because you left me in the lurch to hang around with your friend—the one you don't really seem to like!" Aladdin said, throwing up his hands.

"I'm allowed to take time to myself, or is that not permitted here?" Belle said, taking a knowing jab at Aladdin's home.

"That's not the case, and you know that. For the record, you should know I don't care what you do with your time or whom you spend it with. That's your choice. But if you think I'm so helpless without you, then why did you leave me? What does that say about you as a friend?"

Belle was multiple modes of upset. She was angry at his rage with her spending time with Louise, but she was also dismayed at her own behavior. He was right. If she really did feel that he was this helpless, she should have been there. If she thought he was capable, though, she really shouldn't be hovering anymore.

Unfortunately for Belle, her anger got the better of her, too, "Well, Aladdin, it seems like I am a bad friend to you. I guess it is a good thing I'll be leaving soon, so you won't have to deal with me much longer. In fact, why don't we just call it a day here, shall we? I know you're not used to women hanging around this long, but I think I've held up my end of the bargain. What about you?"

"I say that you're just leaving me like you probably left that guy back home."

Her hand hit his face before she could stop it.

They both had gone to their darkest places of anger and hurt, and took it out on each other. She couldn't see how quickly the thought of her leaving turn his stomach to lead. Belle, however, only knew her own journey to where they were now and her own feelings in that moment. She knew she let him down. She also knew that she provoked him. He didn't deserve this, but she was too ashamed and uncertain to apologize.

"Well," she said trying to quiet the tremor in her voice, "I wish you all of the best."

Belle was able to make it out the door and one block down the street, before she started to sob.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Will you please just talk to him?" Genie implored Belle as she was beginning to pack her things.

She continued to pull ensembles from her closet without saying a word.

"Belle?" he said, his face suddenly popping out from between layers of lace and cotton.

"Agh!" she cried out falling back. "What is wrong with you?"

He reached an abnormally large blue hand out to help her up.

"I just want you to help my friend. He is …" Genie paused. "He's not doing well."

"Genie," Belle replied with her hand on a cocked hip, "he made it very clear that he does not need my help anymore.

"Even if he isn't doing well," she said beginning to fold the French fashions she never actually wore in this desert heat, "I doubt I could improve his mood."

"That's not true. I've seen him down before, but never this down. He hardly eats. He spends most of his time trying to learn the trade—rather fruitlessly I might add. He doesn't even laugh at my jokes!"

"Well, then he must be in a truly poor state," she replied sardonically to the blue man now floating above her bed.

"Belle, please," he said finally causing her to pause in her packing. His unsettling black eyes betrayed a depth of concern she had never seen from him before. For someone so typically carefree, this level of distress was actually admittedly alarming.

Belle let out a sigh.

"Fine," she said.

"Praise Allah!" Genie exclaimed, flying around the room in frantically ecstatic patterns.

"I make no guarantees, though," she said with her finger raised. "I suggest you practice some cautious optimism here."

"Whatever you say, mademoiselle," he said with an overly deep bow toward her.

With a pop, he had disappeared from her room. Belle rubbed her temples. The words of her father echoed in her mind and had for the past couple of weeks: "Time heals all wounds." She first remembered him telling her that when she was a small child. She had invoked the ire of the local bookstore owner after damaging one of his prized novels. Without thinking, she had reached for its pages with hands just covered in grease from helping her father fix another one of his inventions. Belle was just a child, but even the shop owner man couldn't seem to forgive her carelessness.

Her father had pulled her onto his lap as she cried.

"What if he never lets me read another book, Papa?" she asked. Even at a young age, Belle knew that the only way she could get books was by the generosity of others. Her father could only afford the occasional novella for his daughter on his inventor's salary.

"Belle, time heals all wounds," he said cradling her tiny head.

"But I didn't hurt him, Papa! He's much bigger than me!" she responded unironically.

"Oh Belle," her father said chuckling. "Sometimes we hurt people on the inside, in their hearts. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

She nodded.

"Well, when you get hurt on the inside, it's just like when you scratch your knee or bump your head. You need to give it time to heal. You need to give it time to get better. The shopkeeper will forgive you. You just need to give him time for his wounds to heal."

Her father was right. Eventually Belle was back in the good graces of the elderly man, though it did take some time and fresh-baked pastries to persuade him. Pastries, though, probably wouldn't heal the wounds she had inflicted on Aladdin and there was very little he could do to make amends for the hurtful things he said.

Though her heart had started to soften, she could not see herself taking him back with open arms after a simple apology.

"Someone has to make the first move," she said to herself. "It might as well be me."

After all, it was her actions that started this all in the first place.

 _But what can I give as a peace offering?_ She had very little to give here and she doubted that any Agrabahan trinket would be of value to him. All of her prized possessions were in France.

Her eyes widened. An idea dawned on her.

"Genie?" she called out. She still wasn't sure how this whole thing worked, but she figured it was worth a try.

"Yes?" he popped into existence before her.

"I need your help with something. Do you mind conspiring a bit with me?"

"Did you even need to ask?" he said with an impish gleam in his eyes.

* * *

Aladdin was making progress toward learning the ways of the trade in Mr. Alavi's shop. But, Belle had left him with a good foundation to work from. He had had a few slipups since she left, but he was doing better with each day.

Though she had set him up for success, it did not prevent him from still having a bitter taste in his mouth when he thought of her.

During the workdays, it was easy to push memories of their last discussion out of his mind. As he rose for his day off from work, however, he knew that he would have to make an effort to distract himself from those thoughts.

While he was eating his breakfast and going over mathematical functions on a piece of paper before him, there was a knock at the door.

Abu, per usual, made it there with a cackle before he did.

Aladdin opened the door and was surprised to see Belle standing there. She was wearing some odd clothing he had never seen her in before. Beads of sweat dripped from her forehead. She had a bag under her arm.

With surprising apprehension and dread, Aladdin realized that she must be leaving. The strange clothes? Probably from her homeland. The bag? Though it seemed rather small, she probably sent the majority of her things to whatever port they were leaving from.

 _She has come to say goodbye_.

Aladdin swallowed a lump in his throat. "Hello," he mustered.

"Hello," she said.

They both stood there without speaking.

"May I come in?" Belle finally asked breaking the silence. "It's quite hot out here."

"Sure," he said, gesturing her in.

"Thank you," she said with extra formality that was uncharacteristic of their friendship.

Abu chittered something into Aladdin's ear from his shoulder, where he had plopped down from a beam above.

"Oh, do you want a drink of water?" he asked his guest.

"Please," she said offering the closest thing to a smile she probably could give.

Aladdin took time to pour the drink. His stomach was in knots. Though he didn't want to admit it, the fact that she was leaving made him feel a myriad of emotions: anger, regret, longing, and sadness.

After he handed her the glass, they both stood there in silence apparently finding everything around them very interesting and engrossing as neither looked at the other.

"You probably have to go soon," Aladdin said.

"Oh, um," Belle stuttered. It was unusual for her to be at a loss for words. "Do you want me to leave?"

"It's not up to me, though I would suggest that you probably do." Though it may have seemed as though Aladdin were being considerate of her schedule, he was really trying to protect himself from the waves of guilt that kept hitting him. He realized how terribly he had treated her. Though his anger for her leaving him high and dry was merited, the extent of it was probably unfair to someone who had given him so much. Now, with her leaving, he realized that he and he alone was responsible for ruining his chance.

 _Chance at what?_ a voice in his mind quietly murmured.

Before he could answer, Belle cut into his thoughts. "Oh, well, if that's what you'd prefer."

Crestfallen, she began to walk out when Carpet appeared out of nowhere between her and the door.

She shook her head. "No, Carpet, we won't be doing it."

"What?" Aladdin said to the pair. "Wait. Have you been talking with Carpet?"

Belle turned around with mild despair on her face. Aladdin was now extremely confused at what was going on.

"You told me to go, so I'm going. You know, you really should tell Genie that you're fine. He's worried and even had me convinced you were in need of help."

The bitterness in her voice had started to creep through, provoking Aladdin's own bitterness that he thought he had just resolved and buried.

"You're here to help me? I thought you decided that you didn't need to help me anymore," he said spitefully.

"I guess time doesn't heal all wounds," she said more to herself than him, it seemed.

With a hard look on her face, Belle turned around and opened the door.

Before he knew what he was doing, Aladdin had closed the space between them and shut the door before she could leave. He stood behind her, his outstretched hand lingering on the door. The back of her head was inches from his nose.

"I'm…" He struggled to speak, a task made even more difficult when she turned to face him.

He closed his eyes, for he couldn't think clearly staring into the rich brown that colored her own.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Her gloved hand rested on his cheek, prompting his eyes to open suddenly. She didn't say anything. Aladdin struggled to keep the flames from engulfing his cheeks, for he was sure she could feel it through the flimsy fabric covering her hand. This was the closest he had been to her since that night. He always tried to keep his distance out of propriety, but truly that was just an excuse to avoid combating reactions like these that were surely noticeable to their source.

"I'm sorry, too. I think that we both made errors. While I would love nothing more than to debate you on the relative merits of our positions," she said putting a finger on his lips as he began to open them, "I think it would be better if we just try to move on and learn. Is that acceptable to you?"

He nodded.

Her finger remained on his lips.

She seemed to contemplate how to proceed. Aladdin had visions pop into and out of his mind's eye of what he would prefer, if he were truly honest with himself.

Neither of them seemed to notice Abu perched on Carpet slowly creeping up alongside them, staring.

"Awo?" he said tentatively.

Aladdin and Belle quickly parted at the monkey's inquiry, each chuckling. Though Aladdin was relieved that those images floating around in his brain had not come to fruition—such behavior, especially out of the sight of a chaperone, would be problematic for both of them—he still felt his body inclined to close the space between them.

"Would you, uh, mind telling me what's with the getup and bag then, since you're apparently not leaving today?" he said trying to be as light-hearted as possible.

"Well, Genie said that you were not doing well and I am sure I had something to do with that. I asked Carpet if he would be willing to help me alleviate some of what is plaguing you and he agreed."

"And the bag?" Aladdin asked with an arched eyebrow.

"For you. You're going to need it where we're going."

"Where would that be?" he asked, excitement in his voice now.

"Really?" Belle said crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You expect me to spoil the fun? No chance. Now, go get ready. The day is slipping by."

Suddenly in a better mood than he had been in weeks, Aladdin ran to his room to get ready. He had a lot of questions about the things in the bag Belle had brought for him. But that didn't stop the pace of his heart from racing and a smile plastering itself on his face.


End file.
